Today I was going to talk about the importance of communication but honestly I think we don’t talk enough about listening. The act of actually listening.
Too often it feels like people are just sitting waiting to talk. That instead of taking in what the other person is saying and validating the things they’re saying, they just can’t wait to chime in.
So what does it take to listen well?
- Pay attention. For reals. Keep eye contact, not in a weirdly awkward way, but enough to show that you’re not too busy thinking about the last TikTok you watched.
- Ask questions. Help the story unfold, whatever story it is. Ask good questions. Ask questions that show you’ve been listening, that aren’t just yes or no.
- Allow there to be a flow of conversation. There should be a natural rhythm to your conversation.
- Make the conversation a safe space, don’t prejudge, just listen without bias.
- Allow people to bounce their ideas off of you.
- Validate the other person’s experiences and feelings.
I think after giving this a good try you can begin to see your own unique style of listening because just like everything else in life, you have your own style of communication and only though actively using it will you really begin to see how it works for you.