· Be relaxed and attentive
To be a good listener you must be very attentive and relaxed. Avoiding all the other thoughts in your head, you should be able to focus on what the person is saying. Be present at that moment and listen to that person carefully.
Don’t be attentive with constantly staring at the person without blinking, this will make the other person conscious, be serious while listening but at the same time keep your pasture relaxed. This will help the other person to be at ease and talk effectively. But also, maintain eye contact and face the speaker.
· Listen and imagine the picture
When the person is talking, keeping aside all the thoughts and distraction, you must start imagining the picture in your head of what is being said. When you listen and create pictures mentally, it helps you gain more clarity about the topic and understanding becomes easier.
· Do not interrupt
When the other person is talking, it is not right to interrupt them in between. You must let them speak, you can note your points if any to speak later on. An active listener should never interrupt the other person as it conveys lack of interest from your side. When there’s a lot of interruption no one can fully vocalize about their issues and feelings. So avoid talking in between.
· Ask questions
When your turn comes to speak, you must not talk about your views first but must ask questions to the other person. Asking questions helps you understand them better, you get more clarity before you make your point. Ask clarifying question and let the person answer, wait till he finishes and then ask another question. Don’t interrupt with another unrelated and not so important question because questions can take you to completely another topic.
· Be open-minded and empathic
While you are listening to the person be open-minded. before you listen to the entire story don’t judge them. Instead, be empathic towards them, relate to their story and try to understand their situation.
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