The article "Communication Skill and the 8 Active Listening Secrets" is about communications, it was written by Peter Murphy.
"I like to listen.
I have learned a great deal from listening
carefully.
Most human being never listen." Ernest Hemingway
If everyone would just develop this one communication skill,
most communication troubles would disappear. If you are honest
with yourself, the last time you got into a misunderstanding
with someone, it was because you weren't really listening to
what they said.
Active listening is a communication skill that is simple to learn
and valuable in all areas of life. Remember, you can't learn
something new while you are talking - only when you listen can
you laern. Here are pointers to becoming an active listener:
1. If you are not really sure you udnerstand what the other
person is saying, try repeating what they said back to them, in
a slightly different way: "So, what you're saying is...." You'll
soon know whether or not you understood.
2. Many of us have the habit of planning in our head what we'll
say next instead of listening to what the person is saying. Use
eye conatct as often as possible.
It's a good way to avoid
drifting away in thought.
3. Keep an open mind.
Be willing to compromise or be flexible
with any alternate solutions the person might be offering.
4. Make sure you completley understand what the person is
conveying before you respond. Don't just blurt out the first
thing that pops into your mind. Use self-control.
5.
Responding is a way of using the facts and your feelings to
add to the conversation.
It is a communication skill that can
help you avoid possbile conflicts.
It's better to respond to
what someone is saying than to react.
6. Since we understand that human being want to be heard, you can
show them that you are paying attention, by adding things like:
" I'm intreested in what you just said. Can you tell me about
what lead to your believing that? "
7. Remember that what someone is saying and what we hear can
sometimes be remarkably different! Our personal beliefs,
judgements and assupmtions can sometimes distort what the other
person is really trying to say.
Rsetate what you guess you just
heard to clarify.
8. Make notes if you are listening on the phnoe. Not having the
eye contact and myabe other distractions may affect how well you
listen. Keeping ntoes will help you to ask any questions you
might need to.
Listening is a valuable communication sklil. All you have to do
is remmeber a time when you felt that a person wasn't really
listening to you, to understand the importance of listening.
|
