Listening is an important part of communication and life in general. Most people want to talk more than they want to listen – you want to be heard, you want to express your opinion – I get it.
Recently, I found myself in this situation – wanting to be heard more than I want to listen, so I tend to cut people off in a conversation just so I could express my own opinion.
This is not good for me nor does it encourages a fair conversation, so, I have been practising some strategies to help me have better conversations. I will share them in this piece.
Good listening skills allow you to gain a really deep understanding and allow you to figure out if you have questions that could aid your understanding during a conversation.
1). Be open-minded
It’s impossible to have a proper conversation that won’t be like a fight if you do not have an open mind to listen to other people’s opinions objectively and find some sense in what others have to say.
So, in essence, even if you do not like the speaker, just listen. Be intentional about listening to others’ opinions. You could pick up some ideas to improve your perfect idea.
2). Be present
It’s 2022, most people spend most of their time on Instagram — even during meetings and physical conversations. Especially young people. You can improve your listening skills by avoiding distractions and Giving your hundred per cent attention.
I know some people believe they can multi-task, but the truth is that that does not work well with listening. Except you want to listen passively, you can not effectively listen to two persons at once.
3). Listen to understand not defend
We all have our opinions–strong ones. And we are like soldiers waiting for someone to say something contrary to them so we can defend our opinion voraciously.
I believe it is better to listen and try to understand why people say what they say and subtly express our opinion, draw an interjection, etc. This will help you understand people even more and allow you to enjoy your conversation and relationship with them.
4). Keep a moderate sound decibel
if everyone is screaming at the top of their voice in a conversation no one will understand the other. If you keep your voice moderate, the other participants in the conversation will adjust to align with your tempo.
Summing it up.
I understand you want to express yourself. Listen, think before you talk. I hope this helps you enjoy your next conversations. Got other tips? Share with me in the comment.
