How many times have we all been asked to listen? At home, in school, when we’re out with friends; our ability to hear is a major blessing, and our most basic listening skills come naturally. But our finer listening skills need to be honed over time, and it’s something almost all of us can improve upon. That’s where active listening comes in.
Did you know when you’re talking to someone they’re only hearing between 25-50% of what you have to say? That is, of course, unless they’re actively listening to you, in which case that number rises significantly. But what is active listening? And how does it work?
In essence, active listening is being engaged with what you’re hearing. When you’re actively listening, for example, you’re exclusively focused on what another person is saying instead of planning what you’re going to say in response.
Being a good listener and an active listener simply means taking it all in. For example, thinking about what someone else is saying to you, instead of thinking about how you’ll reply, what you’d do differently in their situation, or silently critiquing their message.
While not replying or interrupting might seem almost stifling at first, listening intently will improve your communication skills overall. You’ll find yourself more engaged with others around you, and that when you do eventually reply, your response will be more meaningful than if you had only been half-listening. Your friends and colleagues may even want to speak with you more about certain topics when they know that you truly care to listen to them.
Working from home comes with its own distractions, but we can still practice active listening in an online environment; it just takes a little more effort. While a sobering study from GeekWire states that up to 40% of employees are disengaged on a video call, we can train ourselves to up our level of engagement so we don’t fall into that category.
Here are a few small things you can do that instantly increase your chances of being fully present in a video chat:
These tips will help you stay engaged and actively listen. Once we’re engaged with what’s happening on our screens, we can start thinking meaningfully about the content we’re being presented with.
Want to know more about the hallmarks of a good listener and how you can improve your active listening? How about access to an active listening tool that you can use whenever you go into a meeting?
Join the waitlist for the Brightspot app, where you’ll be the first to get access to our active listening plan (along with all our other plans) absolutely free. Our learning plans are supercharged: meaning they’re fast and they’re fun, but they don’t compromise on any of the essentials you need to learn.
Plus all our Brightspot plans come with useful tools that integrate seamlessly into your day to help you get more done! Join the waitlist.
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How many times have we all been asked to listen? At home, in school, when we’re out with friends; our ability to hear is a major blessing, and our most basic listening skills come naturally. But our finer listening skills need to be honed over time, and it’s something almost all of us can improve upon. That’s where active listening comes in.
Did you know when you’re talking to someone they’re only hearing between 25-50% of what you have to say? That is, of course, unless they’re actively listening to you, in which case that number rises significantly. But what is active listening? And how does it work?
In essence, active listening is being engaged with what you’re hearing. When you’re actively listening, for example, you’re exclusively focused on what another person is saying instead of planning what you’re going to say in response.
Being a good listener and an active listener simply means taking it all in. For example, thinking about what someone else is saying to you, instead of thinking about how you’ll reply, what you’d do differently in their situation, or silently critiquing their message.
While not replying or interrupting might seem almost stifling at first, listening intently will improve your communication skills overall. You’ll find yourself more engaged with others around you, and that when you do eventually reply, your response will be more meaningful than if you had only been half-listening. Your friends and colleagues may even want to speak with you more about certain topics when they know that you truly care to listen to them.
Working from home comes with its own distractions, but we can still practice active listening in an online environment; it just takes a little more effort. While a sobering study from GeekWire states that up to 40% of employees are disengaged on a video call, we can train ourselves to up our level of engagement so we don’t fall into that category.
Here are a few small things you can do that instantly increase your chances of being fully present in a video chat:
These tips will help you stay engaged and actively listen. Once we’re engaged with what’s happening on our screens, we can start thinking meaningfully about the content we’re being presented with.
Want to know more about the hallmarks of a good listener and how you can improve your active listening? How about access to an active listening tool that you can use whenever you go into a meeting?
Join the waitlist for the Brightspot app, where you’ll be the first to get access to our active listening plan (along with all our other plans) absolutely free. Our learning plans are supercharged: meaning they’re fast and they’re fun, but they don’t compromise on any of the essentials you need to learn.
Plus all our Brightspot plans come with useful tools that integrate seamlessly into your day to help you get more done! Join the waitlist.
