We often spend most of our communication energy trying to get our point across to feel understood and heard. Challenge yourself to really listen to the other person and see if you notice a shift and improvement in your relationships.
What is active listening? Active listening is the act of truly taking in what someone else is saying with your full attention.
Components of active listening include the following:
• Setting aside judgement
• Refraining from interrupting, cutting the speaker off, or jumping to conclusions
• Remain focused – make eye contact, lean in, use open body language
• Repeat or paraphrase what the speaker said to check for understanding
• Ask clarifying questions
In conversations we often skip the listening step and jump straight to label someone’s intentions, fix the situation, or problem solve. Being an active listener takes patience and practice, but the benefit of improved relationships are worth the effort.
