5 Tips for active listening

1. Face your speaker

-When someone is speaking to you, it is best to practice active listening by looking at the person. This shows that you are engaged in what they are saying. It shows that you are listening to their words and reading their lips. You hear them. Having your head down or back turned makes the speaker believe you are uninterested in what they have to say.

2. Listen without judging

-The person of a conversation when someone is speaking to you is to listen, not judge. If you are listening and thinking about how to reply you are not practicing active listening. At this point the speaker will assume you are judging. This is where the conversation can go left.

3. Do not impose your opinions

-Active listening is not judging as stated in tip 2. The speaker does not want your opinion during active listening. If the speaker does not say "what are your thoughts" they do not want it.

4. Make eye contact

-When anyone is speaking it is best to make eye contact to show that you are listening. Engaging in your phone can make the speaker feel you are not fully listening to their thoughts.

5. Do not interrupt

- Listen, listen, listen. Do not speak over the person trying to get their thoughts out. Interruption shows you are not listening to understand but rather listening to reply. With that you miss the entire message.

Things do not happen overnight

Learning something g new does not happen immediately. It takes practice. Work on active listening every chance you get in order to become a better active listener.