The Key to Effective Communication

Be a Good Listener -- 10 Ways 

1. Maintain eye contact.
2. Do not fidget, shift your body weight often, and never look at your watch! All these things send a message that you are bored, impatient, or not interested. Nod your head to show agreement.

1. Give NO Sign You are ready to respond - When you are listening, don’t give any clues that you are ready to respond. Don’t point your finger and don’t open your mouth.
2. Be Present. Focus on the discussion and don’t allow your mind to wonder. The key here is to be aware that people do notice if we are not really listening. A good listener is attentive
3. Listen to the Tone, Volume and pitch as that contributes to what the other person is trying to say.
4. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication. Listen with your eyes. Watch facial expressions, eye-movements and gestures.
5. Listen to the conversation with no prejudice, with no expectation to know what’s going to come out of the speaker’s lips. Listen with an open mind to what’s being communicated.
6. Two Second Rule – Wait 2 seconds to respond. No interrupting. During a conversation, wait two seconds after the person finishes speaking to make sure they have finished their thought.
7. Care about What’s Being Said. Show empathy. Whether or not you’re able to fully relate, your compassion won’t go unnoticed.
8. Try "echoing" or simply repeating what the person has said. 
9. Respond by Asking Questions - ask the other person questions during a conversation, to show a sincere interest in the topic. For example, "What happened?" or "What are you going to do now?" A great question is “So how did that make you FEEL?”
10. Be a good listener by remembering what is said. Hold sensitive topics confidential and treat what is shared with respect.

Give these 10 ways to better listening a try... and see if you have better conversations and more effective communications.