by Anishametra Saravanan  

“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” — M. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled. 

Active listening is a critical communication skill in both personal and professional relationships. It requires you to listen attentively to a speaker, understand what they’re saying, respond and reflect on what’s being said, and retain the information for later. This keeps both listener and speaker actively engaged in the conversation. Besides building relationships and strengthening rapport with your colleagues, listening with intention can solve problems, ensure better understanding of one’s intended message and in turn, avoid conflict in the workplace.  

Here are 6 tips and strategies to help you become an active listener: 

When it comes to active listening, one goal to keep in mind is to give the speaker an opportunity to think and speak. Avoid interrupting the speaker by finishing their sentences or start formulating your answer before they’ve finished. Instead, pay attention to your body language as well as your frame of mind when engaging in active listening. Be focused on the moment, make eye contact, and operate from a place of respect as the listener. 

Withhold judgment

Active listening requires an open mind. As a listener and a colleague, be open to new ideas, new perspectives, and new possibilities when practicing active listening. Even when good listeners have strong views, they suspend judgment, hold any criticisms, and avoid interruptions like arguing or selling their point right away.  

Reflect 

When you’re the listener, don’t assume that you understand the speaker correctly — or that they know you’ve heard them. Mirror their information and emotions by periodically paraphrasing key points. Reflecting is an active listening technique that indicates that you and your counterpart are on the same page.  

Clarify

If you’re not sure of the speaker’s message, always clarify.  

Don’t be shy to ask questions about any issue that’s ambiguous or unclear when engaging in active listening. As the listener, it’s important to clear your doubts and confusion in order to receive the speaker’s intended message. Asking simple questions such as, “Let me see if I’m clear. Are you talking about …?” or “Wait a minute. I didn’t follow you.”, is a good place to start. 

Summarize

When listening, restating key themes as the conversation proceeds confirms and solidifies your grasp of the speaker’s point of view. Plus, it helps both parties to be clear on the topic of discussion and follow-up. Briefly summarize what you’ve understood while practicing active listening and ask the other person to do the same. Restating key themes also helps increase accountability when both parties are clear on the message shared. 

Share

As you gain a clearer understanding of the other person’s perspective, you can begin to introduce your own ideas, feelings, and suggestions into the conversation. You might talk about a similar experience you had, or share an idea that was triggered by a comment made previously in the conversation. 

You may continue to query, guide, and offer, but don’t dictate a solution. Give room to the speaker to add on to your points.  

Becoming an active listener requires focus, empathy, and a willingness to understand the other person’s perspective. You’ll also improve your workplace productivity, as well as your ability to lead a team, persuade and negotiate. Used in combination, these 6 active listening techniques are key in holding better conversations that can help you develop stronger personal and work relationships in your life. 

Source:  

Center for Creative Leadership