Practise Active
Listening
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our
attention.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
How do you listen when someone
talks to you? What is the quality of your listening? Do you feel restless and
butt in, when others speak to you? If you do all these, stop! The quality of listening is very important
in the process of communication.
The difference between listening
and hearing lies in the quality. There are two types of listening: active
listening and passive listening. Active
listening encourages the communicator, whereas passive listening discourages him. Active listening is also called
‘whole-body listening’, where the listener also participates in the
communication process. For active listening, the following parameters are
important:
- Your body language.
- Your eye contact with the communicator.
- Asking relevant questions and clarifications.
- Paraphrasing what the communicator says.
- Facial
expression.
From today, be
conscious and look for the above in you,
when you listen to someone. Ask your close friends to give feedback on
the quality of your listening and actively listen when they give the feedback!
(From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live')
N C Sridharan
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