Have you ever talked to someone, and when you ask
them a question, they not respond? Maybe they did answer, but they didn’t
answer the question. They might have said something completely irrelevant to
your question. Maybe they did answer your question, but not in the way you
wanted the question to be understood. Have you ever done any of that to anyone
else?
All of those are poor listening habits. If the other
person, or you, had truly been listening, the question would have been answered
in a satisfactorily way. There are many poor listening habits, and most come
from not paying attention.
Some people don’t even seem to be listening, others
seem to, at first. Some only seem to hear some of what you’re saying. However,
how could it be improved, how could you be a better listener?
First of all, think of the other’s speech as more
important than your own thoughts. Don’t challenge what they’re saying, just
listen. Conversations are not competitions.
Second, don’t interrupt. When you interrupt, you
don’t hear all of what is being said, and it makes the other far less likely to
listen to you.
Third, remember, that while you might like to talk,
they like to talk too. If you’re talking, you can’t listen, so don’t hog the
conversation.
Forth, remember that words are only a small part of
speech. Pay attention to posture, gestures, tone of voice, and facial
expression. They could say one thing and mean quite another, so listen with
your eyes as well as your ears.
Fifth, listen to everything the other says. Only
partially listening is not listening.
Sixth, try not to “zone out” even when the other is
getting boring. They might be exhibiting their bad listening habits, but you
don’t have to add yours to the show.
These are a few ways to improve your listening, and
there are many more. So, thanks for listening!
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Hi! Now that you've read my post, hast thou any opinions that thou wouldst like to share? I'd love to hear them!