The Importance of active listening and its techniques

When you talk to someone, is it really there? Do you pay attention to what is said? Do you have an listening to what happens in the dialogue? Yes, during a conversation it is not uncommon for us to get carried away either by thoughts or by our own opinions on the subject.

However, the exercise of listening, that is, being attentive to what the other person has to say, can be very beneficial for both sides of the conversation. Both to develop better connections and to better understand what happens. The importance is such that, even, there is even a technique called active listening, in which the objective is exactly that.

THE VARIOUS TYPES OF LISTENING:-

Selective Listening-

Those who listen selectively pay attention only to certain parts of the speech, because their thoughts immediately tend towards the formulation of judgments ... Anticipates what the other is about to say and often interrupts, not letting the speech concluded. It's a bit like "hearing what you want to hear"

Passive Listening-

Whoever listens passively escapes communication. We can say that he hears only the words, but not the content…. An old saying gives the idea: "from one ear it goes in and the other goes out"

Active Listening-

Those who listen actively are attentive to communication and try to grasp the emotional content of what the other says. He is empathetic and does not judge. Always clarify to understand better and seek harmony.

From what has been said we understand that Active Listening is very important, to understand what our interlocutor really wants to communicate with us.

What is active listening:-

Active listening is a method of demonstrating attention and reflecting the feelings of the interlocutor in a conversation to ensure that the interlocutor can freely express feelings and thoughts. It is widely used in psychology to work with clients, during psychological counseling or psychotherapy sessions.

Active Listening is a very important communication skill, it improves the effectiveness and efficiency of communication by about 60%.Through Active Listening we can create positive relationships, characterized by a relaxed atmosphere, in which our interlocutor can feel empathically understood and not judged.

Importance of Active listening:-

Learning to listen actively makes us capable of-

1. Avoid Mistakes:- 

Avoid very common mistakes that contribute to forming " barriers " in communication that lead to those easy misunderstandings that each of us has experience;

2. Become more sensitive and attentive:- 

To the emotional experience that accompanies every communication and is expressed through preverbal and non-verbal language, allowing us to go beyond what is expressed in words;

3. Mastering the empathic mirroring technique: 

That allows us to communicate our presence in the relationship to the other and will give him the clear feeling of being listened to and understood.

4. It increases security :

 when working in an environment where listening is really developed, people start to feel more secure, because they know they can count on each other and resolve problems and conflicts through dialogue;

5. It promotes teamwork:

Each and every type of company needs to have united professionals, in order to make it possible to reach the proposed goals and objectives, something that listening allows since it opens space for excellent teamwork

6. Optimizes time properly:

 as there is effective communication in the work environment, in which everyone truly understands each other, time is better spent, as there is a considerable increase in productivity on the part of everyone.

The art of knowing how to listen: active listening techniques-

1. Be silent and pay attention

 In the beginning, it is important to let the interlocutor speak without interrupting him. Remain silent and listen carefully to what is being communicated to you.

2. Offer your availability.

Offer a real “yes, I am listening” and not a “yes I can hear you”. Make sure you create an atmosphere of security and trust so that the speaker feels reassured. You can show it with your words and your non-verbal attitude (opening of the body, gaze…), by closing your distractors (mobile phones, screens) and… the door

3. Being able to see beyond words.

 Some people speak more easily than others. To make sure you understand the words correctly, observe the non-verbal communication. The person in front of you is trying to put their emotions and feelings into words. His behavior tells you a lot. Feel what she is expressing.

4. Train your mind

Another point that we have difficulty controlling is our thoughts. In our mind, everything happens so fast, that we are often in a dialogue with someone, but with our heads thousands and thousands away.

In this sense, an important step that we must take to develop active listening is to train our mind, that is, whenever we have been in conversation with someone and realize that our thoughts are coming off the dialogue, we must put those thoughts aside and turn our attention back to the person before us and what he is saying to us.

Thus, as time goes by, our minds will be sufficiently trained and we will be able to listen better and more actively to what our interlocutor is transmitting to us.

5.Be genuinely interested

Moving forward with powerful tips for developing active listening in the workplace, another important step you can take in this direction is to seek to genuinely take an interest in what your interlocutor has to say. Try to put him at ease, react to the story told, using non-verbal language, and always make eye contact. That way, he will be able to express himself correctly and will pass on the desired message to you.

6. Use of contact signs.

These signs are generally comprised of kind looks, grins, gestures of consent with the head or face. They are significant in light of the fact that they demonstrate an empowering and consoling presence, particularly in snapshots of faltering and vulnerability, without going into the benefits of the substance of the correspondence.

7. Ask

One way to know and demonstrate that we are really listening and paying attention to what is being said is by asking. So, when in a dialogue ask questions to make sure and make sure the other person that the message was really and truly assimilated correctly, as well as to have more information on the subject.

By practicing this exercise you establish a genuine interaction with the person in front of you, which allows you to develop a work of excellence together.

8. Avoid finding distractions,

Which can be doing or thinking about something else: not only is it rude, but this will not allow you to fully understand the message.

9. Put empathy on the field

Putting yourself in the other's shoes is one of the best ways out there to truly connect with him. In this sense, another efficient way to develop listening is to empathize with others, trying to understand their needs, motivations, expectations, values, so that it is possible for both to unite and contribute to each other's work in the professional environment.

10. Active listening in mediation

Mediation promotes a different listening between the parties, gives a voice and treats the parties equally, promotes isonomy so that they arrive at a possible and creative solution. Everything is treated with confidentiality, which allows the parties to negotiate with peace of mind, since nothing that is said in mediation can be used in court.

Mediation thus provides a balanced exercise of the constitutional principles of human dignity, enabling the parties themselves to resolve their conflicts, and may even reestablish communication or relationships.