Good Communication Starts with Listening
Hello I'm Terrea and today i want to share some information about Listen to a person before talking. Because sometimes i can catch myself talking before listen and you will lose out on the information that someone is trying to tell you whether it's important or not. Good Comminication promotes better understanding of people, reduces conflict, and enhances relationships. The importance of "listening" as the foundation to good communication. Many of us think that communication is talking and talk we do. We interrupt, advise, reassure, judge, analyze, criticize, argue, moralize, threaten, divert, diagnose, etc., etc. But, good communication requires good listening as well as talking. In fact, since we have two ears and only one mouth, listening just might be the more important skill. However, we receive almost no training in good listening and usually do not realize that really "hearing" someone is not a passive activity. To be a good listener, we must, first, pay attention. When you are speaking and someone is not paying attention, how do you feel? Annoyed, frustrated, discounted, rejected, anxious or angry? Such feelings usually make communication more difficult. So how can we show someone who is speaking that really are paying attention to them? We can do this both nonverbally and verbally. Research shows that about 85% of what we communicate is nonverbal. This includes our posture, physical movements, eye contact and our psychological presence. So, when someone is speaking to you, is your posture inclined toward the speaker, so as to invite and encourage expression? Or is your back turned or your arms or legs tightly crossed, which discourages and cuts off involvement? Are you fidgeting or otherwise distracting the speaker or yourself? Are you making good eye contact with the person? By looking at the observing the speaker, not only will the speaker feel "attended" to, you will learn more about what is really important to him or her. Finally, we cannot pretend to pay attention by employing these physical techniques without also being psychologically present. We can't fake interest. The speaker will know if our hearts and minds are not really there.
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Lot of truth in your words Terrea. We all need a reminder now and then to just close our mouth and listen.
One thing I might suggest, give these old eyes a break and put your next post into paragraphs. It will be easier to read.
Thanks for the post.
Jim
Talk we do, really like that one Terrea, probably one of the things that we do the best. Gee whiz some sound advice.
Learning to listen is one of the best skills that we can develop, and learning the ability of not having to comment on everything we see and hear would be a close second.
Thanks for sharing your insights a very good reminder.
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Yes, learning to listen is a very important part of life, and especially so for those in business. All the best. Jim
Hi Jim! Thanks and Much success to you