Hey it’s #WellbeingWednesday here at Wellbeing Wishes. Each week we explore a wellbeing topic and you’ve found yourself at week L where we are exploring what it takes to be a great listener in The A-Z of wellbeing blog post series.
This week we are going to run over a few top tips to help you become a great listener. As discussed in this post, being a great listener isn’t just about letting the other person speak. As we all know there is nothing worse than talking to someone only to realise they are not giving you their full attention.
Being a great listener will help you develop your communication skills and ensure you have an easier time understanding what someone is saying directly, and indirectly. Here are some top tips to help you take your listening skills to an even higher level.
Top Tip #1. Be present in the conversation
Being a great communicator means being present when you engage with someone. Great listeners are ready, willing, and able to give their energy to a conversation. Poor listeners don’t give their full attention to the conversation and find themselves waiting for their chance to speak or summarizing what they are hearing before the speaker is done. Stay present for the conversation and don’t add or detract from it prematurely.
Avoid distractions when someone is communicating
Similar to being present, it’s important to avoid distractions when you are communicating. Multi-tasking has its benefits but not when you are having meaningful conversations. Great listeners don’t look at their computers or phones when someone is speaking. They don’t allow interruptions while they are engaging and do their best to look someone in the eye to let them know they are not distracted.
Top Tip #3. Don’t interrupt
It can be hard not to interrupt someone when they are talking. That’s because our thoughts tend to race when we are listening to someone speak. Sometimes the urge to chime in or interject is overwhelming. A great listener can hold their tongue until the speaker has said everything they want and then offer their contribution.
Be a Great Listener by Staying curious
Curiosity is a great skill for effective listening. Being a bit of a detective can help people expand on their thoughts and get more information. People appreciate interested listeners who have questions that take the conversation deeper. Staying curious also helps prevent being a know-it-all. Sometimes it’s hard to pay close attention to people when we feel like we already know what they are going to say. Being curious helps keep the focus on the other person and builds great relationships.
Listening is an important part of healthy communication. There’s a lot that can get in the way of great listening. Thankfully, these tips will help you be a more effective listener and build healthier communication skills.
If you missed the previous #WellbeingWednesday post you can read that here.
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Nice tips and i totally agree form my experience.