Active listening

Section 1 : The basics of active listening

Active listening involves approaching conversations without expectations or judgments. Listeners work to keep themselves fully engaged while helping the speaker explore their thoughts. Several key features define the process.

• Active listeners aren’t talking - they’re learning. Every bit of their concentration is devoted to processing and understanding the speaker’s words. They stop everything else they’re doing and work to avoid distractions. Most importantly, they ignore the impulse to frame everything from their own perspective.
  
  
• They use open-ended questions to help the speaker more fully explore the issues they’re concentrating on. This type of question can’t be addressed with a simple “yes” or “no”. Instead, they require a thoughtful response. Questions like, “What made you think that was the issue?” or, “Where else do you believe you need improvement?” help the listener gain a deeper understanding.
  
  
• Judgments are withheld, and advice isn’t given until the speaker feels they’ve been heard completely. This ensures that they never feel ignored, put on the defensive, or otherwise constrained in their expression.
  
  
• The listener’s posture, body language, and verbal prompts clarify that they’re paying close attention. The listener makes a point to maintain eye contact, leaning in slightly toward the speaker. They’ll cue the speaker with prompts like, “Okay”, “I see,” or by nodding and reacting to demonstrate that they’re paying attention.
  
  
• Active listeners frequently summarize what’s been said to make sure they understand the intended message. They’ll start this with prompts like, “What I hear you saying is…” and “Let me make sure I understand what you’ve said.” This allows the speaker to address any misunderstandings. In this case, closed (yes or no) questions can be useful to help quickly confirm understanding. For example, the listener might say, “So you’re saying you felt as if you were underprepared for your interview, is that correct?”