Real Listening - Really listening🎧

It sounds like the most straightforward task because we listen to something all day. 

Yet, there is a big difference between “listening” and “really listening”. Real listening, or really listening, requires more effort.

💭How can I become a real listener?

According to my experience, it is a mix of several actions and behaviours that you show.

• Actions speak louder than words: face the person, look at them, put other tasks and your mobile phone aside. Do not do anything else while you are talking to the person. That’s all you have to do. In a remote work environment, you can do the same: stop any other activities and look actively into the camera. These behaviours show the other person that you are giving them your undivided attention.
• Non-negotiable: let the person finish their sentence.
• Enjoy the silence: allow the other person to take a breath and think before you are trying to fill the void.
• Make some noise: use simple active listening tools to communicate that you are listening, like “Mhm.”. Some languages even have their wordings just for this situation.

💡If you follow these simple few rules, you will:

• Create a better relationship with the person: because you communicate at eye-level, without interrupting at the first possibility to give your opinion.
• Get more information by giving time to the person to communicate their thoughts, ideas or opinions thoroughly.

🏋🏼‍♂️Training tip:

In some situations, e.g. when you are in a hurry, really listening could take too much time. However, I recommend trying it anyway, as even short time slots of natural and concentrated listening can be the most efficient way to solve a lot of topics. Just give it a try.

👉🏻What are your best real listening practises? Looking forward to hearing from you!⭐️