How To Be A Better Listener

Posted on February 16, 2016

1) Check Your Assumptions - If you're already certain that you know what's going on in someone's head, your brain is primed to accept only information that agrees with your preconceived notions. However, if you open your mind and cultivate a genuine interest, you create an environment in which whoever you're talking to feels heard and you can actually hear.

2) Get Curious - Being genuinely curious keeps you from being defensive. A good way to show your sense of curiosity is to ask open-ended questions like "Can you say more about that to help me understand?”"

3) Suspend Judgement - More often than not, we become so entrenched in our own beliefs and opinions that we close down and don't want to hear anything else from anyone else, even those closest to us. For effective listening, the first thing you have to do is suspend your judgements and let the other person talk without any interruptions.

4) Know When To Tap Out - Genuine listening requires humility and curiosity and it cannot be faked. For effective listening, it is at utmost importance to give one's undivided attention.

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Source material from Scientific American