How to be a good listener

Ever been told you need to listen better? Most people have. Even if you haven't it is a good thing to work on improving.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Patience
• Tolerance
• Understanding

1. We hear it every day, so and so doesn't listen well or they just don't pay any attention to what I'm saying. How can you avoid being one of those people who is tabbed as a poor listener?
2. Listening isn't about hearing. Hearing someone and listening is a very different thing. In order to be effectively listening to someone your focus must be on them. Eye contact is a good way to show that you are focused on them and what they have to say.
3. In order to put the focus on the person speaking to you, remove all the distractions. Distractions are the number one cause of a bad listener.
4. Pretend you are the other person, and put yourself in their shoes during the conversation. Putting yourself in their shoes gives the conversation a much more personal touch.
5. Give feedback and ask questions when appropriate. It is very important that the questions and the feedback are genuine and not just something to act like you are paying attention.
6. Let the person who is speaking to you know that you understand. A good listener is always a very understanding and empathetic person.

Tips & Warnings

• Be attentive at all times.
• Don't just act interested if you aren't interested. This will get you nowhere.
• Don't interrupt quickly, allow them to talk and open up.