Research shows that active listening — putting your full focus on your conversational partner to truly understand their message — can help us anticipate problems, resolve conflicts, expand our knowledge and build trust. 

And like any skill, active listening can be practiced...

• If you really want to be an active, empathic listener, you need to put away your devices and be fully present.
• When we multitask, our attention is divided between multiple streams of information — and we’re not great at taking it all in. 

The best listeners aren’t just statues absorbing information — they also know what to say and when to say it.  

• Posing clarifying or open-ended questions says to the other person you’re paying attention and encourages them to elaborate. It can also help them gain new i...

Nonverbal communication — the ways we express thoughts or messages without speech, like our facial expressions, body movement, posture, eye contact or touch — can be just as powerful as what we say out loud.

That’s because our facial expressions reflect our...

• Make eye contact. Looking someone in the eye while they’re speaking indicates that you’re interested and invites them to continue sharing. Experts recommend using the 50/70 rule: Try to maintain eye contact 50 percent of the time when speaking, and 70 percent of the time whe...