A crucial communication skill is intent listening, which involves remembering the information someone shares with you and demonstrating your understanding through questions and nonverbal cues. Intentional listening is seen as a crucial workplace skill since it typically results in more transparent communication and builds stronger relationships with your partners, boss, and clients.
As with any skill, you may improve focused listening through practice and by approaching conversations with a more overt sense of purpose. In this post, we’ll discuss what it means to tune in well and examine seven various strategies for improving your listening abilities.
What is Active Listening?
Our natural reaction is not to hold what we hear. According to research from the Harvard Business Survey, the average audience only remembers 25% of a debate or talk two months after it occurred. Intentional listening necessitates a great deal of additional thought and empathy, which ideally results in a more notable comprehension. According to analyst Harry Weger, it is the act of paying close attention to what someone is saying to demonstrate open acknowledgment and unbiased reflection.
In the 1950s, Carl Rogers pioneered the theory that later came to be known as “intelligent tuning in” for analysts. Since then, it has been used to industries like business and education. When we engage in focused listening exercises, two outcomes frequently materialize.
How to Listen with Intent
The communication secret to engaging people and getting their attention is intent listening. Here are some methods for improving your communication abilities through intent listening.
Focus on the intent and purpose of Listening
Intentional listening begins with a goal to be aware of and receptive to the person speaking next, as well as the expectation and purpose of the conversation, in order to comprehend and truly understand them. Integrating care into your focused listening indicates that you are giving the speaker your whole attention.
Generally speaking, being cautious involves showing deference and being aware of the present moment. No daydreaming, intrusion, or planning your response in advance. Considering everything, pay attention to the meaning and context behind their verbal and nonverbal cues. In this way, a true association is formed between you and the speaker.
Pay attention to body language
The majority of communication is nonverbal. According to expert Albert Mehrabian, communication in face-to-face interactions consists of 55% nonverbal, 38% audible, and 7% words.
Body language refers to the conscious and unconscious movements and processes that convey or transfer information. It may also include gestures, poses, eye contact, eye-to-eye development, and glances. Think about what you’re saying with your nonverbal behavior while you observe and pay attention to others. Amazing indicators that you’re paying attention to are head movements, eye contact, and smiling (if appropriate).
Clarifying Perhaps Information
Sometimes maintaining eye contact and gesturing throughout a conversation is insufficient. You can experience some uncertainty about whether your mind has a hold on the big picture in the workplace. You can both fill in any gaps in knowledge by explaining and summarizing the information back to the speaker.
Ask Question
Disorganization can be eliminated by posing questions. Even while you might feel like you’ve dealt with much of what they said, you probably still have questions. You can ensure you have heard the correct information by asking questions and giving clear answers.
You can also show that you are interested in someone by outlining important topics. An open-ended question can urge the speaker to elaborate on a noteworthy or fascinating idea. Additionally, it demonstrates that you have been paying attention and want to learn more. This keeps the speaker’s audience in the conversation.
Refrain From Judgement
It’s crucial to have an open, impartial, and nonjudgmental mindset while practicing intent listening. Finding strategies to grow as an audience is important because you can attract people with novel ideas and perspectives and open doors that you might otherwise never have encountered. Keeping your opinions to yourself, refraining from analysis, and approaching each conversation with an open mind can lead to many doors opening.
Summarize, share, and reflect
As the relationship draws to a close, make sure to finish strong. Share a brief summary of the speaker’s remarks or a few brief observations. Give your thoughts and conclusions whenever you are prompted in a way that demonstrates how you have analyzed the information. Sharing thoughts and feelings in relaxed settings may lead to deeper and more important dialogues.
Consider your realisations after the partnership. You might have had strong feelings or thoughts during a chat, an interview, or a conversation with a close friend that need to be dealt with or put down on paper. Your teacher, lover, or companion may need to know how you look. Make touch with them and bring them in based on the underlying association.
Improve Your Communication Skills
Intent listening takes practice. The following are a couple of tips on further developing your listening abilities:
Focus! A great many people permit themselves to be diverted without any problem. Put down your telephone, quiet the television, and visually connect with the individual conversing with you. Give careful consideration to the speaker’s more extensive point, as well as a couple of explicit things they’re saying. For what reason would they say they are letting you know this? What is an action item? How does the speaker feel about what they’re talking about? Try not to contemplate replying. Center around what they maintain that you should hear.
Declare your interest. The speaker can tell if you’re paying attention or not. However, make eye contact, gesture appropriately, and use simple words like “yes” and “huh.” Don’t prevent them from highlighting what they just stated. Although it could seem like a good way to demonstrate your dedication, doing this might ruin a conversation.
Submit an observation. You will always have the chance to provide shrewd commentary on the facts revealed whenever the door becomes open. This could manifest as reflecting on the details discussed, posing additional questions, or expressing your own opinion. When someone asks, “What’s your take?,” attentive listening helps prevent that deer-in-the-headlights reaction. You’ll be ready to respond effectively if you’ve been paying attention.
Try not to jump to conclusions too quickly! Both you and the person speaking to you lack telepathy. Ask for an explanation if the information being communicated causes you to lose your cool. Say, “I only need to explain. It appears like you mean X. Are you expressing Y? You strive to avoid assuming things without giving them a chance to refute them or provide an explanation.
Although it takes time, attentive listening can surprisingly improve your ability to hear others, communicate, and remember important details in everyday conversations.
