Listening is one of the four primary forms of communication, along with reading, writing, and speaking. . There's a higher form of listening, fortunately, which leads to real communication. We call it "genuine listening". And it's the kind of practice we want to put to use.
But to do genuine listening, you need to do three things differently.
. It is reported that only 7 percent of communication is contained in the words we use. The rest comes from body language (53%) and how we say words, or the tone and feeling reflected in our voice (40%). To hear what other people are really saying, you also need to listen to what they're not saying., mostly, everyone is tender inside and has a strong need to be understood.
Stand in another man's shoes. To become a genuine listener, you need to take off your shoes and stand in another man's. In the words of Robert Byrne, "Until you walk a mile in another man's shoes you can't imagine the smell.".
Practice mirroring. Think like a mirror. What does a mirror do? It doesn't judge. It doesn't give advice. It reflects. Mirroring is simply this: Repeat back in your own words what the other person is saying and feeling. Mirroring isn't mimicking. Mimicking is when you repeat exactly what the other person says, like a parrot. If you practice mirroring but don't really desire to understand others, they will see through it. If your attitude is right but you don't have the skill, you'll be okay.. If you have both the attitude and the skill, you'll become a powerful communicator!
A. Listen with your eyes, heart, and ears
B. But it doesn't work the other way around
C. Although you can choose an interesting topic
D. Communicate with others as often as possible
E. However, many people don't know how to listen
F. No matter how hard people may appear on the surface
G. You must try to see the world as they see it and feel as they feel
