A Practice on "Active Listening"

Active Listening

Be direct, specific and tactful;

One of the main rules for active listening is always to minimize the number of distractions. But the real problem in active listening isn’t what takes place on the outside. It’s what’s going on inside one’s mind that presents the greatest challenge.

Here are some guidelines:

Focus on the conversation, putting everything else in your mind on hold.
(Don’t focus on what to do next etc.)

Make no assumptions about what other person thinks, feels, or wants. (People are not 100% predictable.)

Don’t spend time rehearsing what you’re planning to say while the other person is speaking.

Let the other person have their say. Don’t interrupt.
(There are people who tend to finish other people’s sentences.)

Those people who interrupt may do it for several reasons:
a) impatience b) dominance c) ‘mind-reading habit’.
Whatever the reason the effects are usually negative.

Listen for feelings as well as thoughts.

Notice the other person’s nonverbal as well as verbal behaviour.

Demonstrate nonverbal attentiveness.

Use active listening responses such as clarifying, restating, paraphrasing, reflecting, and summarizing to bring out the other person’s wants and needs.

Ask questions designed to gather information rather than to criticize.

Be patient. Make sure you understand the problem as completely as possible before offering solutions.

Don’t use the words ‘but’ but ‘yes and’.