Active Listening
What are you ‘hearing’ when someone is speaking? Is it the words they use, their tone of voice? Do you listen attentively or do your thoughts stray? Do you listen for a while and then start thinking about what you want to say - and so stop listening? Do you pass rapid judgment on the person speaking and what they are saying?when you’re listening to someone else talk, it can be easy to get distracted by your instant reactions or judgments, or by becoming engrossed in thinking of what you want to say, and how you’re going to respond . As you listen, you’re likely to have some questions popping into your head…hold on to them and when the person has finished speaking, ask them - or tell them - what has struck you about what – and how – they are communicating.
It might help to make a written/mental note of:
- WHAT the other person is saying
- HOW they are saying it (with confidence, hesitatingly, other?)
- What are they NOT saying?
- Watch their body language – notice anything?
- Can you hear anything in their tone of voice?
