• What is Listening?

    Listening is the act of focusing and paying attention on what is being said and understanding it. Listening is very important because it helps us connect to other people, understand what they’re saying to us, avoid misunderstandings and mistakes, and improve teamwork and productivity.

  • How to Listen
    • build your vocabulary
    • before the listening begins, drop any assumption that you already know what the speaker will say
    • remove any form of distraction and focus on what the speaker is saying
    • observe the speaker’s gestures, movements, and facial expression
    • make eye contact with the speaker, but not too much
    • pay attention to identify the speaker’s key points and ideas correctly
    • don’t think about your insecurities or needs when the speaker is talking
    • think without losing concentration to know how the speaker’s information relate to what you already know
    • ask questions at the appropriate time and seek clarification on points you fail to understand
    • ensure you maintain good posture while listening to the speaker
    • use positive facial expressions and gestures to react to what the speaker is saying like smiling or shaking your head
    • stay non judgmental while listening, be patient and don’t judge the speaker’s information until you have heard it all

References and Further Reading

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