Reasons to improve your listening skills
Here are some benefits you can get from improving your listening
skills.
Truly hearing and understanding what is being said
around you can have profound consequences on your success,
not just at work, but at home and while you are our with friends.
Remember, being a good listener is often considered
more important that showing people that you know how to speak!
- Perhaps the most important reason is
to be able to win friends and influence people. Good listeners
are rare. Develop your skills and your value as a friend
or work colleague will increase. They will help you to be considered
a brilliant conversationalist.
- Good listeners can avoid saying the wrong thing and appearing to be tactless.
- To help soften harsh feelings.
The most expressive critic can often be subdued by a patient listener.
Letting someone else "talk themselves out" can often be
the solution to an otherwise tense situation.
- To better understand
others feelings. Do this by encouraging others to talk about themselves
then listen, really listen to what they have to say.
- To increase the other person's confidence
and level of interest in you. To be interesting and attractive
to others, first try be interested in what they have to say.
- To ensure you both (all) understand the topic being discussed.
Tips for improving listening skills
Listen carefully so that you will be able to truly understand
the message being spoken by the other person. With careful listening
you will understand and be able to evaluate the information you are
hearing. Try these tips the next time you have a chance.
- Be mentally and physically prepared
to listen. Put other thoughts out of your mind. Your attention
will be diverted from listening if you try to think of answers in
advance.
- You can't hear if YOU do all the talking. Don't talk too much.
- Think about the topic
in advance, if possible. Be prepared to listen.
- Listen with empathy.
See the situation from the other's point of view. Try to put yourself
in their shoes.
- Be courteous; don't
interrupt. Take notes if you worry about forgetting a particular point.
- Avoid stereotyping individuals by making assumptions about how you expect them to act. This will bias your listening.
- Listen to how something is said. Be
alert for what is left unsaid.
- Make certain everyone involved gets
an opportunity to voice their opinions. If you can
pull it off, don't let one person dominate the conversation. Ask questions
that will involve the quiet ones.
- Face those you are talking with, lean
slightly forward, and make eye contact. Use body to show your
interest, concern.
Also check out the advanced
listening page.
Return to the main listening
skills page.
Visit the listening
skills resources page for products to further enhance your
listening abilty.
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