When you speak, you regurgitate what you already know, but when you listen, you learn and understand. Understanding the other person helps you to have empathy for the other person and connect with him or her at a deeper level. No understanding and deep relationship can be built without good listening. Listening is a gift as well as a skill. Listening can be enhanced by the following practices.
Avoid formulating your response
Listening invites you to drop all preoccupations and biases and pay full attention to the person speaking. Often, there is a danger in communication that you start thinking about what you are going to say when the person speaking stops. Listening requires that you are not busy formulating your response.[1] If you are busy formulating your response then you can lose the message or receive it only partially. When you do not truly know what the other person tried to convey how can you constructively respond? Missing the message, or receiving a partial message can lead to chaos, misunderstanding, conflict, and hurt. Therefore, when you listen, listen with your whole heart and mind. Once the person has spoken, you can respond.
Avoid judging
The spirit of listening requires that you avoid judging the other person for what they say and how they say it.[2] It is possible that you may not agree with what they say or like the words and tone of voice used. If you disagree with what the other person says, you do not have to react on the spot. If you react then you are likely to miss the message and the communication may end in conflict.
You must listen to the message of the other person and how he or she feels, despite you having a difference of opinion. Often, people can use words and tones that are not conducive for effective communication, nevertheless, that does not mean that there is no message in their communication. On your part, you can be calm, listen to the other person, and respond when appropriate.
Acceptance of the other does not mean that you agree with the content of the other. It means that you acknowledge the experience and feelings of the other. You can empathize with them, understanding their experience and feelings. Listening leads to understanding and understanding resolves problems and builds healthy relationships.
Listening is the heart of a good conversations and the core of building a solid relationship.
ReplyDelete"Listening is one of the loudest forms of kindness". randomvibez
ReplyDeleteEmpathetic listening is required for therapeutic alliance. What we can give to others is we can listen to them peacefully and then can reflect and comprehend so that the speaker could feel understood and that the essence of effective communication.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a great man to be a good listener....
ReplyDeleteThis is just what 8 needed today!
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