6 Components of Active listening

We have had plenty of conversations all through our lives. Conversations with your colleagues, friends, and the list go on.

Nonetheless, we are a generation of social media expression. We convey everything through either texts, mail, phone calls, or a half-personal touch in video calls. So often, we forget what goes on in a real conversation. You speak your heart out. You listen to one another. That's the power of a meaningful discussion.

However, an uncredited part of a good conversation or communication lies in effective listening as well.

If we only had speakers, then every conversation would seem like a 9:00 pm debate show. When everyone speaks in a conversation, conflict happens, but real communication occurs when people hear each other. That's the power of effective listening.

Blackboard Radio has brought up tips that are worth applying to improve your effective listening skills.

• Listen Carefully: A good listener is patient, attentive, and receptive. Always grasp all the information and then meditate over that information. Focus on conversation, body language, tonality, etc. Always remember to not cut them in between their dialogue to share what you want to say.
• Don't be biased: This meаns аvоiding tаking sides оr fоrming орiniоns whilst the оther рersоn is sрeаking. Оnly when yоu hаve heаrd аll they hаve tо sаy will yоu be аble tо соmрrehend their reаl messаge. Yоur аbility tо understаnd exасtly whаt is being sаid tо yоu deрends оn yоur аbility tо асtively listen. This mаy sоund simрle but it's not. Be open to new ideas, opinions & perspectives. Even if you disagree with what they are saying. Avoid arguing.

• Share: Effective listening doesn't only involve active listening. Effective listening also includes decoding the information and expanding upon it through your understanding. Add your ideas, suggestions, and experiences after the person has finished sharing. Sharing creates a common ground and helps to understand each other's perspectives.
• Ask questions: If you are unable to understand something, gently ask them to repeat their words. You can also ask specific questions associated with the topic of discussion so that the speaker knows you are involved in the conversation.
• Meditate over the conversation: You can validate the ideas spoken by the speaker by spending few minutes of deep thinking. But, don't be lost at the time of discussion. Effective listening is only possible when you are present mentally.
• Sum up in your own words: Speaking in your words is one of the best ways to clarify that you have understood the speaker. Paraphrasing and adding few points confirms and solidifies your grasp of someone's point of view.

These are soft skills that a person should notice and take into account. Not only your relationships with peers and friends would improve but also your CV would be pitch-perfect. So what the wait for, get hired through effective listening.

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