Being a good listener makes you an even better communicator.

Listening is not only a learning opportunity for you, but it is also one of the fastest and easiest way of making friends & building your network. As human beings we are social creatures & by actively listening to people around us, we are able to connect, co-operate, develop & understand ourselves and each other.

Listen for curiosity & not for the sake of listening.

When listening to someone, try to have your full focus on them & their story rather than getting distracted or reflecting on your past experience or thinking of an answer or comeback.

Ask questions and take into consideration the whole situation before coming to a solid conclusion. Try to take a step back and analyse the whole situation from the other person’s point of view before giving any answer.

Poor listening skills create walls in Communication & make things difficult and build more chance for mishappenings and accidents, especially due to miscommunication or incorrect assumptions/conclusions.

Listen to actually understand what they’re saying.

Don’t try to finish their sentences or interrupt them, allow them to finish, that way you can have a proper idea of their point of view and come to a better conclusion.

Try to avoid any & all narcissism. Try not to make it all about you or think about your own past experiences while the person is talking.

If you want to read the whole article you can find it on my blog here