Moment of Expression--Tips on how to become a better Listener

in #lifelessons6 years ago

Having talked about the values of listening in the first part of this post, which you can see Here, this part talks about how we can develop our listening skills.

Image-Pixabay(CCO Creative Commons)

The following are ways we can develop listening skills, they are not limited to the few mentioned, but these actions are commonly overlooked. Hence making them common ways to improve our listening skills

🌠 First on the list is--Look at the speaker:



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This implies that you give the person your undivided attention. Try as much as possible not to be caught up with anything that could disrupt absolute listening, focus on the person and if you don't have their time at that moment, reschedule as soon as you can.

🌠 Don't interrupt

Don't interrupt people when they talk, give them the time they need to express themselves. Although, don't feel that one of you has to be speaking all the time. Most times periods of silence gives you a chance to reflect on what's been said so that you can respond appropriately.

🌠 Focus on understanding

Often times, people forget quickly the things they hear. Studies have shown that most people recall only 50% of what they hear immediately, after hearing it their ability to remember continues to drop as time passes. Hence, find the meaning and understand what is being said. After all, meanings are not in words but people. Furthermore, listen with a head-heart connection, listen with the intent of understanding, listen to the message and the message behind the message, listen for areas where they are afraid and hurt. Above all, listen, the way you would like to be listened to.

🌠 Check your emotions

Many times, people carry around emotional baggage that causes them to react to certain people or situations. Anytime you become highly emotional when listening to another person, check your emotions especially if your reaction seems to be stronger than the situation warrants.

🌠 Suspend your judgment

This implies that you don't jump to conclusions. Most times, we judge other people by their actions but judge ourselves by our intentions. As you talk to others, wait to hear the entire story before responding because if you don't, you may miss the most important thing they intend to say.

🌠 Ask questions for clarity

In order to be a good listener, it is imperative that you ask non-threatening questions where you lack understanding as this gives more insight into what is being said.

🌠 Make listening your priority

No matter how busy you become or how far you rise, make listening a priority, because it shows people how much you care and ask questions in a non-threatening way, you'll be amazed by how much they'll tell you.

In conclusion, we must take cognizance of the fact that listening isn't easy. There are billions of people who hear but only a few are capable of listening. Be among that few and become a person of positive influence...

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Hello! I find your post valuable for the wafrica community! Thanks for the great post! @wafrica is now following you! ALWAYs follow @wafrica and use the wafrica tag!

I agree, Listening is definitely not easy. Most people listen to respond but you have shown here that's it's better to listen to understand before responding. I like the way you broke your narrative into small but neat and concise points. Cheers!

#bigwaves

Thanks for reading, I recently found out that most people only listen to reply, so they sound smart or wise. Only a few try to understand what you are communicating.
And that's the whole point of communication, Understanding

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