How would you feel if you were sharing a personal story and noticed that your friend wasn't really listening? You probably wouldn't be too excited. Without active listening, people often feel unheard and unacknowledged.
Listen without making judgements. Most people tend to judge others during conversations. If you let your opinions come into play, they may ruin the conversation. However, if you enter a discussion with the goal of understanding someone else's opinion, they will want to have deeper discussions with you.
Physically showing that you're listening doesn't come naturally for everybody. But if someone is ready to open up to you, and you sit back with your arms crossed without saying a word, they're not going to say much. To encourage someone to keep talking, focus on the speaker by turning your head and body to face them and by making eye contact.
Ask questions. Asking questions is one of the best ways to show you're interested. If someone is telling you about their ski trip，don't respond with "That's nice." Instead, you can ask, "How long have you been skiing?" or "What was your favorite part of the trip?" The person will think highly of you because you have asked a few questions.
Think before responding. After the speaker has finished talking, a good listener may take some time before responding. Simply take a few seconds to think or say, "Give me a second to think about that." Doing so either makes the speaker first feel you're listening to what they're saying. In this way, it will make the speaker feel comfortable as they see you processing what they've said.
A. Use positive body language.
B. Pay attention to the speaker's judgement
C. That would show a lack of interest and disrespect.
D. Give the speaker a chance to correct your understanding.
E. But judging isn't helpful when you're having a conversation.
F. Then they will know you want to be thoughtful in your response.
G. That's why it's important for everyone to learn how to be a better listener.
