Direct your focus totally on what is said by the speaker. Most people think about how they will reply when somebody else is speaking. You need to focus and only think about what the speaker is saying, even if it may not sound interesting. If you are listening for a longer duration, try to concentrate and keep in mind the key phrases and words. The brain will arrange the abstract contacts or form a literal picture. The mind should be allowed to create a mental model of the communicated information. Practice active listening and listen to the words of the speaker Let the speaker complete his sentence and do not try to interrupt and finish the sentences of the listener. These feelings and thoughts can only be interpreted by applying your effective listening skills. It should be kept in mind that language represents the feelings and thoughts in the speaker’s brain. If what the speaker says alarms you, then feel alarmed but do not say it out loud, “This move was stupid.” The moment you start to make judgments, you compromise effective communication. Listening skills will improve by not judging the speaker or mentally criticizing the things spoken by the other person. The important thing here is to pay attention to what the speaker is attempting to communicate.Įffective resume making, job hunting, campus recruitment training & others 3. Besides this, focus less on the speaker’s accent and speech mannerisms otherwise, they will become distractions. Personal prejudices must be avoided, and you must try and be impartial. Focus your attention on the speaker and what the speaker is trying to communicate by putting other things, like your feelings, thoughts, and biases, out of your mind. Other distractions like noise and activity in the background need to be screened out. Distractions like social media, books, papers, and other things should be away, as this behavior will disrupt the listening process and give the speaker a message that you are not interested. Remove distractions, be attentive and relaxedĪfter establishing eye contact, it is important to relax. If there is something important in between, tell the speaker about it and inform them that you are again ready to listen after completing that work. Now and then, you can look away and then resume the conversation usually, but it is vital to be present entirely when someone is speaking to you. Maintaining eye contact does not mean you must constantly stare at the speaker. Therefore, facing the speaker and maintaining eye contact is essential for effective listening skills.

Listening to a person while working on a computer screen or scanning the room will only give the speaker a certain percentage of your divided attention. It would help if you prepared yourself to listen.

At home, effective listening skills help develop children who are self-reliant and resourceful and can solve their problems. Listening has become so crucial in organizations today that several top employers are providing training in effective listening skills to their employees as they are aware that effective listening skills facilitate better satisfaction to the consumers, increase productivity in the workplace, assure adequate information sharing, lead to more innovative and creative work, lesser errors and less wastage of time. If you listen carefully, the communication process will stay smooth despite the misunderstandings, making the sender feel satisfied. Concentrating along with using other senses is a practical listening skill. The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages during communication is known as listening. Listening skills hold the key to effective communication. Introduction to Effective Listening Skills

Active listening skills