How Do You Develop Active Listening Skills?
We remember about 25 to 50 percent of what we hear; when you talk to your boss or spouse for 10 minutes, you really hear only two to five minutes of the conversation. Become an active listener to retain more information, which will improve your job performance and your relationships. Active listening involves a conscious effort to understand, interpret and evaluate a message. Pay attention. Look at the speaker and maintain eye contact. Avoid environmental distractions like computers, television and other conversations. Put aside distracting thoughts–don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal even if you don’t agree with what the speaker says. Take notes or try repeating the speaker’s words mentally to help you concentrate. These actions reinforce the message and keep your mind from drifting. Listen for the speaker’s feelings as well as her facts. If there’s an emotional tone to the message, listening to words alone will result in an incomplete message. Watch the person’s body language and list
