Active listening is a great skill. Good listening enables people to tell their stories. The art of listening requires that you prepare yourself and show that you are listening. We listen at 125-250 words per minute (wpm), think at 1000-3000 wpm. 75% of the time, we are distracted, preoccupied, or forgetful. 20% of the time, we remember what we hear. Listening involves good body language and non-verbal communication.
For active listening, have good eye contact, do not interrupt, and encourage people to talk. Egan gave the SOLER approach for active listening. That means, Squarely faces the person, Open posture, Lean towards the person, Eye contact, and Relax. By practicing these skills, a person can enhance active listening skills with friends, family, and coworkers.
People like being listened to as it demonstrates respect. As a good listener, a person will show that he/she is attentive and interested in what the speaker is saying and resist the temptation to interrupt. Using silence gives the speaker space and time to think about, construct and say what they mean. Encourage the speaker to explore their thoughts. Make it clear that you are interested in helping them to develop their thoughts and ideas. The active listener will notice any misconceptions or prejudices there may be. The active listener will be skillful in reflecting on what the speaker has said. This helps clarify understanding and lets the speaker know that you are focusing on what they mean. This also helps the speaker clarify complex thinking and provides an opportunity for them to elaborate. When you reflect, it enables the speaker to confirm or correct your understanding. Mirroring what the speaker has said and using the same words is very helpful.
How do you practice active listening?
