How to Become a Better Listener

Member

By kaytay
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (8 Ratings)

Many people do not realize that there is a big difference between listening and simply hearing. Hearing is just that. You are hearing sound, and specific to this, you are hearing someone's voice. Listening, on the other hand, is the conscious act of hearing a voice, but also attending to it. You attend to what is being said, you consciously think about what is being said, you comprehend it, and you are able to intelligently respond to what is being said. If you have trouble actually listening to what someone is saying, rest assured, you CAN become a better listener. Read more to learn tips on how to become a good listener.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

First and foremost, one way of assuring that you are actually listening to what someone is saying is to paraphrase. Paraphrasing means that you are repeating back what is being said. By doing this, you are clarifying what was said and making sure you understand it. Plus, repeating what you heard is a good way to make it stick in your mind.
Step 2

Look at the person who is speaking to you. Look into their eyes if you are comfortable doing so. If this makes you uncomfortable, at least look at their face to give the impression that you are making eye contact. When you do this, it will prevent you from multitasking and taking the attention away from what is being said. If you are talking on the phone and cannot look at the person speaking, stop what you are doing to prevent your mind from wandering to other subjects.
Step 3

Ask questions. Be careful not to interrupt the speaker though. To prevent interrupting, wait a few seconds after they stop talking to make sure they are not just pausing to catch their breath. When you ask questions pertaining to what was said, you are clarifying the information, assuring that you heard correctly, and again, making the information stick in your mind.
Step 4

Give your undivided attention. Do not multi-task while you are being spoken to. This will prevent your attention from wandering elsewhere. If there is something you have to do right at that time, ask the person to wait until you can give them your undivided attention, or stop what you are doing and listen intently.

Comments

senia said

Flag This Comment

on 2/2/2009 I think I should print this out and hang it somewhere for my HUSBAND to see! the frig maybe or maybe I could e-mail it to him ooooh the possibilities maybe both!!
thanks kaytay.