Listen Up: Ways to improve your skills

Listening plays a major part in the communication process and is often overlooked. According Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of the Boy Scouts Association, “If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk." It is skill that allows persons to avoid misunderstandings; encourages undivided attention and ensures effective responses to messages.

However, listening is a technique that requires patience and attention. It is not just about sound waves vibrating the eardrums and sending messages to the brain, it utilizes the entire body. Educator and Author Peter Drucker stated that “the most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.”

Good listening techniques involves both verbal and non-verbal communication. Here are some techniques to improve your listening:

· Focus attentively to the speaker.

· Take of your mobile device or put it away to avoid distracts

· Face the speaker while he/she speaks

· Reinforce your attention through body language

· Maintain eye contact

· Be aware of the emotions and body language of the speaker

· Take notes if necessary

· Acknowledge and confirm the messages by repeating key points

Once you ‘learn to listen and listen to learn’; the communication process becomes easier. Hence, there is an obvious reason why you were given two ears and one mouth. This is to ensure that you listen twice as hard as you speak. Employing these techniques will help you to be a better listener and a very effective communicator.