Hey Would You have any Interest to become an Active Listener?

Active listening is when you are fully aware and concentrate on what is being said rather than passively hearing what the speaker is trying to convey.

The goal of active listening is to acquire information, listen to understand people and situations before responding to it. It is the conscious decision to listen carefully and understand what people are trying to convey without being judgmental.

The listening ability can vary from person to person. But the good part is that it is a communication skill and can be acquired with time and patience. It is about focus and understanding and looking at things from different perspectives for the greater good.

Attitude is a feeling of emotion that comes from understanding that we must be respectful towards what others say about a fact or state. Also, understanding that we all can learn something new from others even if we have strong beliefs or feelings prior to the topic. When we respect everyone, we tend to look beyond our preconceived notions and become better listeners.

To be a good listener, we must have good attention. But it is easier said than done. Many of us have less attention span, or we tend to distract away easily. If that is the case, you must practice some exercise to help you hold your attention to the speaker. Mind games or puzzles that keep your attention are great to start with. Meditation is one more important tool that helps us retain our focus and full attention.

Adjustment in listening is nothing but keeping an open mind. To follow what the speaker conveys, even if that is difficult for you to grasp or hold no meaning. Often we listen to great leaders speaking about business or life in general. If the topic of discussion steers in a monotonous direction, we tend not to adjust but daydream. When we keep an open mind and ready to invest our time, we adapt to the situation and, in the end, become a better listener.