Listening Skills Strategies

Good listening is a quality that improves relationships and builds understanding. It involves communicating in a way that places priority on the speaker at any given moment. Doing this establishes rapport and prevents misinterpretation. It also allows others the space needed to express thoughts and ideas freely, and feel that their contributions are genuinely appreciated.

Be Attentive

A common mistake is to dedicate the time that another is speaking to calculating what it is you wish to say afterward. Not only does this disconnect you from the message, it sub-communicates disregard to the speaker for her ideas. Practice focusing only on what the person is saying. Absorb your thoughts into the expression of her individual experience. Acknowledging another's perspective creates a bond with that person. Furthermore, in doing this you discover accurate information from which to respond, as opposed to preconceived conclusions.

Take a Moment in Between

Before giving response to another's comments, pause for a few moments. Doing this allows you the time to formulate an appropriate reply and gives the previous speaker notice that you are reflecting heavily on his ideas. Also, waiting in this way prevents you from interrupting his message before he is actually finished.

Give Affirmative Responses

The occasional nod that encourages another to continue, gestures and sounds that relay understanding, add power to a conversation. When communicating, people are always looking for clues as to how they're being perceived. You don't necessarily have to agree with what's being said, just acknowledge the other's right to say it.

Remove Filters

Prejudgements concerning another's personality, knowledge or motive will color an interaction and prevent accurate interpretation. Also, your own emotional and mental state will heavily influence how you view the facts. If possible, bring yourself to a neutral state of mind before initiating or participating in an important conversation. Also, remove all predetermined notions that may harm your ability to accurately asses information. By doing this, you increase the quality of the interaction and your opinion of it.