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.