I have a lot to say.
This makes me a poor listener.
But I’m trying to improve.
We dishonor others when we don’t listen. Most of the time, people chime in about themselves rather than taking a moment to pause, reflect, and ask a question or offer an affirmation. Conversation is based on listening. It’s not a ping pong match of words going to and fro. Conversation means paying attention and absorbing what someone says. Instead, we hear and immediately jump to what we want to say. Hearing and listening are not synonymous.
Bad listeners are among us at every turn.
We cannot improve and evolve if we don’t listen. There’s an awful lot of chatter about using your voice and being heard. Everyone has a story, an opinion, an insight. I’m opinionated and loud, ingredients for a bad listener. But as I said, I’m trying.
How to be a good listener:
- Make eye contact.
- Pay attention to non-verbal communications, like tone and body language.
- Don’t interrupt.
- Show genuine interest.
- Practice silence.
- Ask questions.
- Think before you respond.
The reason there’s so much shouting is because there’s so little listening.