Active Listening: Why it Matters and 4 Tips To Ace It

You can hear someone’s words without active listening, but this typically isn’t the route to effective communication. Maybe you’ve tried to vent to a friend about difficulties at work while they said “Huh” or “Wow” or “That sucks” in mostly the right places, but you still didn’t feel as if they really understood your struggles.

Active listening requires more than open ears — it involves actually engaging with the speaker by showing empathy and support. In this article, we explain to you why active listening is important and why you should practice it in your everyday life.

What Is Active Listening?

Active listening is a soft skill that directs the focus from what’s in your head to the words coming from the outside. By being able to focus on what another person is saying, you can understand needs and information more accurately. It shows you care about what the other person has to say, and signals that you’ll come away with an understanding that goes below the surface.

One may not be a natural born active listener but like any other skill this can be acquired with some practice. Let’s look at a few ways!

4 Tips To Ace Active Listening

Be An Attentive Listener

People often try to multitask in order to make the most of their limited time. While this is a great way to be productive, we do not recommend it if you want to be an active listener. The key to active listening is to pay complete attention to the speaker. This means that your thoughts do not wander anywhere else and are absolutely focused on what the other person is saying.

In case, you aren’t in a position to give them your complete attention, make sure you let them know. You can do this by saying “That sounds so stressful. I want to hear more, but I’m not free to talk right now. Can I call you back in just a few hours when I can give you my full attention?” This way you are not brushing off their feelings which makes them feel respected.

Don’t Interrupt The Speaker

Avoid interrupting the speaker unless it is absolutely essential. In general, it’s best to avoid cutting in, unless you get too confused and need immediate clarification to continue following the conversation. Another thing you can do in case of confusion is to either make a mental or physical note of your query and make sure to clarify it later with the speaker. This will help you in two ways — one being the obvious that you get your doubt cleared and the other being that the speaker feels acknowledged.

Body Language Matters

More than your words, actions speak. A well-known quote that surrounds our lives. Body Language not just shows how attentive you are but also how actively you are listening to the speaker. Having a good posture, maintaining a steady eye contact, using gestures and facial expression helps build healthy and important relations.

Mirroring, or reflecting someone’s movements and gestures, can help build rapport in conversations. If they lean in, you might do the same. If they smile and shake their head, an answering smile and head shake from you helps make it clear you’re paying attention. It can also invite a sense of closeness and companionship by sending the message, “We’re on the same level.”

Approve Their Feelings

They must have chosen you over others as they trust you. He/she would want someone listening to their grief and understand their state of mind. If the speaker expresses his/her grief over an incident, use validating phrases such as:

• “I imagine that feels pretty hurtful.”
• “That sounds stressful.”
• “I can see how that would make you feel overwhelmed.”

Acknowledging their frustration instead of brushing it off typically leads to more productive communication and conflict resolution.

Active listening not just improves your communication skills but also opens doors to infinite opportunities and collaborations.