Listening is a skill and an art. To have mastery of this art requires immense patience. And patience can be gained through dedication. To listen and to hear are two distinct tasks. Listening is when we hear consciously. With all presence of mind, makes listening effective. Unfortunately, a large proportion of people does not have this skill. Due to this, they have to face various problems in life. Therefore, this post brings you 8 ways to listen effectively.
1. FACING THE SPEAKER
While listening, it is important to face the speaker. It would be very inauspicious, not to pay attention to him. In doing so, the speaker would lose all respect he had for you. This will degrade your status in front of him. Besides listening, it is also important to know his facial expressions. The expressions reveal a lot about the tone of talk. This lets you know the important points the speaker made. Looking at his efforts, you will have a rough estimate on the subject. It will help you to acquire more information from the speaker. In other words, you will be the one in profit.
2. TO BE AT EASE
To listen, you need the utmost focus. If your mind is pre-occupied with thoughts, it won't work. To make it work, you’ll need to be at ease. In other words, listening means gathering information. However, being at ease is not that easy. Therefore, you must empty your mind and be still. The pre-occupied thoughts will not allow new information to enter your mind. Being calm and relaxed will help you to be more attentive. If you are not, it might cause problems. This is because you might not get another chance to listen. Besides trying to recall, open all your senses. So, relax and be at ease.
3. OPEN UP YOUR MIND
A good observer is always a good listener. To observe, you will have to be in a different state of mind. You will have to open up your mind. This can be done by restricting yourself from certain habits. Never try to judge others on your self-proclaimed standards. A huge proportion of people think of themselves and a judge. On the contrary, they are not perfect. If an individual doesn’t meet their standards, they criticize. These habits of criticizing and judging will destroy your observatory mind.
4. FOCUS ON THE VOCABULARY
Sometimes, the speaker speaks a lot. This is why you must build patience. However, this is not possible with many people. Don't worry, for there is an alternative solution. Try to focus on the words uttered by the speaker. Note down those words in your mind. This will give you an idea of what he is trying to convey. It will also lead you to wander off in his perception. This technique is used by crime branch investigators. The method of cross-examining was developed from this idea. So, to be more crafty, focus on the vocabulary.
5. DON'T SPEAK IN BETWEEN
Interruption is the biggest issue with many. To have clarity, you must listen first. To tackle this issue, you must remain patient. If you interrupt your speaker, he’ll lose the flow. This makes him feel quite embarrassed and angry. However, it is genuine to feel so. If he loses the flow, you may miss out on some important points. In this way, you'll be the one in the loss. Avoid this foul habit to maintain your dignity. Have patience, for you can speak when your time comes. Therefore, let him complete his statements to be a wise listener.
6. PROVIDE FEEDBACKS
Now, who doesn't like feedback? Especially speakers are fond of it. Your feedbacks are of immense value for them. This reflects your personality in front of him. He will be aware that you are listening. But, there is a point to remember. You should only provide your feedbacks after the conversation. Interrupting in the middle will not be a good idea. If you have any doubt, don't hesitate to ask. But wait for your speaker to pause. Waiting for a pause is also effective to listen consciously. Therefore, keep providing feedback when it's time.
7. PREPARE YOUR MIND
If you want to listen clearly, be prepared. Mental preparation is most important to achieve clarity. You may not know what type of person the speaker is. Therefore, be ready to hear all sorts of things. Don't expect anything from your speaker. You must set your ultimate aim as listening. There can be any sort of distractions during the conversation. A single distortion can break the flow of your focus. Then, this will interrupt your capacity to grasp the statements. At last, you will lose all interest in the conversation. At that point, listening would be meaningless. Therefore, prepare your mind before listening.
8. SELECT YOUR TYPE OF LISTENING
Many aren’t aware, but there are types of listening too. There are 4 types of listening. It consists of appreciative, comprehensive, empathic, and critical. Choose your type depending on your reason to listen. For instance, If you are a skeptic, critical thinking suits you. There is one more factor, you must keep in mind. A wise listener will select his type of listening based on the speaker. If the speaker is sharing knowledge, you must listen comprehensively. On knowing this, you'll be benefited from good listening skills. Therefore, select your type of listening correctly.
SYNOPSIS
Listening is essential in almost all areas of life. A good listener only pays attention to the speaker. For him, the speaker is the only existent individual. Therefore, you must achieve this quality too. In today's world, there are more speakers than listeners. A good listener is hardly found these days. So, be one in a million. Another quality of a good listener is, he never embarrasses the speaker. This is the reason behind his charm and likeability. Perhaps, it is one of the greatest milestones of an elegant listener. So, try to follow the mentioned ways to listen consciously.