LISTENING: PRINCIPLES OF GOOD LISTENING

 

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD LISTENING

a)     Stop Talking or listening phone calls 

Never talk to anyone or on phone when somebody is speaking. Be attentive and listen only to the speaker patiently and try to understand his/her point of view.

 

b)    Be Relaxed and Prepare Yourself to Listen 

While listening to a speaker, be relaxed and put other thoughts away. Concentrate on the messages that are being communicated.

 

c)     Put the Speaker at Ease 

Never give negative gesture to speaker. Help the speaker to feel at ease. Try to encourage him/her by nodding or using gestures or words to encourage them to continue.

 

d)    Remove Distractions 

Avoid unnecessary interruptions. Focus on what is being said by the speaker. Keep yourself free from distractions.

 

e)     Empathise 

Be open minded. Never try to assume anything rather try to understand other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective.  Even, don’t react on any idea or thought that you don’t like.

f)      Be Patient 

While listening someone, never get up early. Be patient and let the speaker utter the final goodbye. A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone.

 

g)     Avoid Personal Prejudice 

Respect individuality and be impartial. Don’t focus more on stage performance or delivery and style of speech. Always focus on content what the speaker is really saying.

 

h)    Listen to the Paralanguage 

Volume, tone, rate of speech, pitch etc. add to speech. Always try to use these paralanguage features of any speech. It helps you to understand the emphasis of what is being said.

 

i)      Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words 

Be very attentive to find out the real meaning of the any speech. With proper concentration, a complete idea of the overall speech can be easily found out.

 

j)      Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication 

Nonverbals cues are equally important. Even, sometimes gestures and facial expressions are very important to understand the actual meaning of a speech. Hence, never avoid to watch non-verbal communication during any communication.