Some Keys To Learn To Listen
Listening is a skill that can be cultivated and strengthened. It is even necessary to do so, especially if we want to authentically interact with others. Who doesn’t like to be listened to with attention and interest? For that, we must learn to listen.
One of our biggest flaws is that we tend to spend more time talking than listening. The problem is, we don’t realize the effects this can have on our relationships with others.
Listening carefully is a virtue that allows us to capture what comes to us, analyze the information received, make decisions and give advice. It is a fundamental skill to establish good communication and enrich our relationships.
Careful and empathetic listening
In today’s age, possessing some degree of communication skills is essential. It is not only a question of knowing how to speak, but also of knowing how to listen to those around us. It may seem obvious. However, this is far from the case for everyone.
Listening is an ability that involves making a connection with another person and paying real attention to the information that is being shared. That is, listening involves empathy. For this reason, it is a skill that takes time, practice and dedication.
5 keys to learning to listen
Psychologist Daniel Goleman considers listening to be one of the main skills of people with a high level of emotional intelligence. If you want to develop the art of learning to actively listen, beyond what the words say, you can take note of the following keys …
Avoid distractions
We are constantly exposed to multiple sources of distraction: outside noise, the sounds of our digital devices, our thoughts … To listen properly, it is important to avoid distractions and focus our attention on what the other person is. transmits. In other words, it’s about focusing on the present moment.
Learning to listen involves asking open-ended questions
An open question invites the other person to develop their words. These questions can then create space for a more extended answer, and show the other person that you are interested in whatever they tell you.
In short, daring open questions to the other person is a good technique for learning to listen. We thus encourage him to flesh out his speech.
It is better not to interrupt
If you have a hard time avoiding interrupting the conversation, the other will think that you don’t care what they are saying and are taking a back seat. Knowing how to respect the speaking turn is essential for good communication and avoiding participating in monologues.
Practice active listening
It may sound counterintuitive, but the lack of communication and isolation that many people experience today are largely due to inadequate listening. Listening is not an automatic process.
Active listening refers to the ability to listen to what the other person is saying while deciphering the feelings, ideas and thoughts hidden in the words. It requires more effort than speaking and passive listening. Active listening therefore involves the following points:
- Pay attention to your interlocutor.
- Demonstrate the ability to decipher the message accurately.
When it comes to learning to listen, put prejudices aside
It is important to know that when we have a person in front of us, they are not exempt from receiving judgment and opinion from us. And this, whatever the subject of the conversation.
Making value judgments about the interlocutor can affect our attention to the speech. It is therefore important to try not to judge the other, or at least to avoid entering into a negative dynamic of prejudice and criticism.
In short, speaking and listening are two processes implicit in every act of communication. As we can see, knowing how to listen defines us as a person and says a lot about us. It is a manifestation of interest towards others, in addition to being a real act of generosity.
Our thoughts Behind the feeling of susceptibility, there is psychological insecurity and poor management of emotions. Let’s see this in more detail.
