Listening is the capability to directly respond and interpret the messages in communication. Are you a good listener? Check out the top 10 qualities that make you a good listener.
Listening is crucial to all fruitful communication, without the capability to listen effectively communications may misperceive. It is one of the most significant skills you can own while processing elegantly of picking up information and ideas.
Why Listening is Important?
Listening is the way of receiving, constructing meaning from, and replying to spoken. Just listening to words may not enough; a good listener pays attention to even non-verbal communication of the speaker. Listening is important as it avoids communication wrongdoings. It is a key to success which can help to learn something new.
Listening isn’t just about being silent while someone else is speaking. It is with the thinker, listening with the senses, and being conscious. Listening can upgrade our interpersonal & spoken communication. It signifies:
- You make people know that you are serious
- Helps you to learn
- You show regard to other’s view point
- Empathize
- Helps you to understand new things
Also read: Top 10 Ways to Communicate Effectively With Others
Qualities that make you a Good Listener
All of this is smoothly and sensible, you may suppose, but what exactly are the qualities that make you a good listener? Can you think of the actions that show others are being understood and validated by you, when you think of a good listener?
Here’s a list of top 10 qualities that reflect both good listening and perceived responsiveness are important for good listening.
1. Urging for clarification
A good listener helps exploring the upholding issues about reality. Rather than just thinking vague points, he/she demands clarification. How often you ask someone for clarification? Or you just believe on unclear conversations?
To be a good listener, you should urge for clarification. Doing this, others will honor you a lot.
2. Receiving and Understanding
Receiving the conversation is actually a part of good listening. It is the voluntary reaction on hearing a speaker’s message. The point is characterized by the attention because it’s the immediate tool concerned with this stage of the listening process.
Understanding what others are saying also makes you a good listener. While understanding the conversation, you try to learn the meaning of the communication. This may not always smooth but you should figure out what the message means to you.
3. Remembering
Remembering, somehow, links directly with listening. If you can’t remember something that was said, you might not have been attending effectively.
Even so, truly when you’re listening attentively, some messages are more knotty than others to understand and remember. Largely complex messages may full with detail call for largely advanced listening skills. But, you should at least give a try.
4. Respecting others opinions
Showing others that you respect their opinions can make you a good listener. Let people trust you while looking out about their opinions. Respecting the opinions of others, even when you disagree with them, gives you information into the way the world runs.
Respectful listening sends an apparent communication, whether deliberately or subconsciously, to the person standing in front of you. When you don’t respect others opinions, the discussion may shift, and they get the idea that they’re not important to you.
5. Being Present
A good listener is always mentally present. You can’t listen to anyone if you’re far away. That’s why all good listeners are able of being aware and present in their discussions. This attention allows you to reserve the information being said to you more fluently, as you’re paying much additional attention.
To be present, you should turn off or remove barriers. If possible, stop doing other tasks. Clear your mind of other things for the present time. Always turn your full attention towards the speaker.
6. Responding well
Responding — occasionally related to as feedback — is important for good listening. Your response to the message should be warm and intellectual. Give positive feedback even if at the end, others stay behind to you.
When your response well, people are attracted by you. This happens only when you listen attentively. If you won’t give attention, you won’t be able to respond in a good manner.
7. Do not moralize
A good listener never gets all critical about what others say. Even if it’s against the standard or status mark, it’s better not to moralize. You should honor and accept others, making them feel like you are honest.
Separate disagreement from critique. A good listener can disagree with you without making the exchange feel hostile or displaying rudeness.
8. Making Eye Contact Nicely
Eye contact establishes sensibilities of trust and helps you connect to the person you’re listening to. Refusing to meet someone’s eyes can delivery bad messages to the person you’re trying to speak to.
Making an eye contact is a vital sign that someone is listening. So lacking it commonly conveys a lack of confidence. When listening to someone, you should maintain eye contact roughly 70 of the times. Make an interested, open expression and smile if it’s suitable.
Hold eye contact for about four or five seconds before looking away to the person talking to you. When looking off from someone, do so in a relaxed manner to the side, not down or too rapidly.
9. Being A Good Leader
Are you a good leader enough to inspirit confidence in the people you work with? You can’t do that if you are not a good leader. In fact, many renowned leaders believe that listening to others and asking them for their opinion is pivotal in being a good leader. This is because listening grants you perception into other outlooks and ideas that arise from other perspectives.
Studies show that people who are good listeners always sense in positive ways as leaders. These are the people who deserving liability. So try to learn from the people around you, and you ’ll be a better listener and a better leader, all in one.
10. Appraise the speaker
Ever analyzed what others are speaking to you? It is one of the best qualities that make you a good listener. Appraising is a criterion of the listening process. Assessing the same message may vary extensively. But you should not bother this. More you try to appraise people talking to you, more you become a good listener.
Also read: Tips for improving public speaking skills
What are the Barriers to good listening?
What barriers you face while trying to be a good listener? Some familiar barriers in the process of listening may include:
- Pre- judgments about others
- Assuming that the person in front of you is going to give some insignificant information.
- Judging the others by their peculiarities, voice, appearance, and accentuation.
- Lack of attention and interest.
- Ignoring listen to boring, catchy, or difficult information
- Widely listening only to what’s considered interesting
- You being distracted by disturbances
What are the Benefits of good Listening?
Good listening enhances productivity and helps you improve dealings. It avoids misunderstandings and improves understanding. Listening enhances give-and-take skills adding to your look-alike & character.
Final words
You can really feel when you’re being a good listener. Something about the way you make empathetic analysis which allow others to feel comfortable with you and, thus, more likely to open up further.
Follow above discussed qualities that make you a good listener. You must not talk too much – Be silent. Show interest and empathize. Try asking more about things and take notes. Put your wholeness and avoid distraction. Best of luck!
Also read: Gender differences in the communication style of men and women
