It is the desire of every person to become a better listener in everything that they do. After all, paying attention is one of the rarest and pure way of showing generosity to people around you. However, not every person can be a good listener since they are quite a number of obstacles that may hinder your listening abilities. Fortunately, with the right actions, you are sure to increase your attention thus making the speaker feel valued. This action in turn makes life easy since you can easily understand what other people prefer.
Some of the things that you need to consider if you are to increase your listening skills are explained below.
- Avoid Distractions
If you are going to have a good conversation with a given person, you should try as much as possible to anticipate and remove any possible distraction. For instance, you can decide to switch off your phone, computer or any other device so that you do not hear the notification sounds. In case someone tries to speak to you while performing a task, then you should either tell them to wait or simply stop what you are doing before listening. This action will in turn make it easy for you to interact with people around you.
• Exercise Silence
Sometimes, the most effective way of enhancing your listening is giving yourself a space of silence during the conversation. A verbal response may at times not be the right way of engaging with people around you. Therefore, a space of silence will go a long way in allowing the speaker to offer more about what they may be feeling or thinking.
However, you should not maintain silence during the entire conversation as it may make it boring. You should thus try your level best to sit past the silence although it may at times be very difficult. However, you are sure of making the most powerful connections with the speaker if you maintain a silent space.
• Be On the Look Out for Non-Verbal Communications
Listening to what someone has to say is only a small part of becoming a good listener. This is because people tend to communicate more through their tone of voice, body language and expressions. When listening to what someone has to say, you should check for any other non-verbal communication sign that they make. For instance, you can check their sitting position or how their hands have been placed. Learning the art of reading what other people are saying can help you become more understanding and compassionate with people around you.
Becoming a better listener is one of the skills that you need to practice in order to make life better. Sometimes, people tend to get lost in their own world of words, ideas and even distractions. However, by learning more about other people, you are sure to become more skilled at listening. This will in turn give you the needed edge in your career, friendship and any relationship that you may be involved in.