Listening toolkit
Listening is the foundation upon which effective communication and true comprehension are built, enabling us to navigate the complexities of human emotions and thoughts with grace and insight.
Get started on your road to better listening
Get started on your road to better listening with these top 10 skills:
Value listening. Consciously choose to listen more and listen better.
Prepare to listen. (Put away the cell phone.)
Listen with an open mind to what the speaker has to say
Let the speaker finish talking before you respond.
First, listen to understand, not to respond.
Look for verbal and nonverbal clues about how important this message is to the speaker.
Listen for strong emotional content of the message, as well as the meaning of the words.
Be aware of cultural differences, age differences, and gender differences in how people speak to each other and how they listen to each other. They may be expecting different indicators of listening and respect.
Reflect back what you’ve heard if that seems appropriate.
Respond in a way that shows that you have listened and follow up with future actions to show that you listened.