Active Listening

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Listening is one of the most important skills one can possess. We listen to obtain information, to understand, for enjoyment, and to learn. Given all this listening, you would think we’d be good at it. Research shows that we’re not. In fact, research shows that we retain only 25-50% of what we hear.

One of the simplest ways to improve your listening skills is to practice “active listening.” This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. Here are a few simple things you can do immediately to practice active listening.

If you’re more of an auditory and visual learner, you may want to watch Julian Treasure, chair of the Sound Agency, on how to use sound. In his TED Talk, “5Ways to Listen Better” he begins by sharing the ‘7 deadly sins’ of conversation such as gossip, judging, and complaining. He then gives four positive and powerful ways to improve your conversation style.

It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. It’s also very easy to become distracted by technology. Simply having a smart phone beside you can become a major distraction. Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation, won’t even bring a smart phone into interviews. She has as assistant hold it in another room because tests have proven that just seeing the phone keeps a person from listening and conversing effectively.

If you didn’t believe in listening, you wouldn’t be reading to this point in this MoMo. Thank you for that! I’m here to support you. I’m here to listen.glenna@glennatabor.com.

–Glenna