Listening is a skill and everybody should have good knowledge of that. If you are attending a conference or a meeting, your listening skills will only make you outstanding in your team. Only when you listen you can interpret their ideas or you can revert back to that person. This is like an art and it can’t be mastered in a day. Lots of practice will make you a good listener.
Some people think listening can be easy and they can easily do it but when they attend a lecture or something they will get to know how bad they are at listening. We have to make a mindset that listening to them will increase our knowledge. Then only our brain will train itself to listen to the speech. When you simply think this lecture will be boring and it is of no use to you then the brain will automatically register this and you will find the lecture to be even more boring.
Ask more questions to the speaker if you really don’t know the topic they are speaking about. Only when you ask questions your doubt will be solved and you can register the content they are speaking. Don’t simply jump to a conclusion to the speaker’s words. Analyse and identify the key concepts and ideas of their speech. In this way, you are making mental notes in your mind.
You can also do introspection. Recording something of yours and listen to it and find whether you are able to get a clear image and grasp of it or not. In this way, you can find the fault. Because after you listen you might have to give your opinion. So, your speaking skills also will play a major role. Don’ ask questions desperately. Wait for the speaker to complete his/ her speech and get back to them. If you desperately ask without letting them finish their speech a bad impression will fall on you.
A good tip is to make an eye-contact with the speaker. This is the most important steps in listening. When you make an eye-contact they will get to know that you are actively participating there. In most countries, this step is considered a better one in listening.
You can relax for some time. But at the same time be attentive and listen to the person in front of you. Relaxing doesn’t mean that you can skip the part that the speaker is speaking. Instead don’t sit too erect. If you do this your muscles will become tight. So relax and listen to them.
Asking questions and interrupting is different. Don’t interrupt the speaker and give or impose your ideas on the speech they are giving. It is considered a bad habit in listening. If you find something really interesting and want to talk about it wait for them and let them finish the speech.
After listening you can give feedback to the speaker. Here you can tell the things you felt in their speech and the sentences or statements you liked. Give a genuine reply. Don’t just speak for the sake of giving feedbacks.
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