Active listening may be a significant tool in the process of establishing deeper, more rewarding relationships for a number of reasons, including improved learning and a reduction in the number of disputes that arise.
Active listening is more than simply a skill; it is a bridge that links persons on a profound level, building meaningful relationships that improve lives. Active listening is a bridge that connects individuals on a profound level. Being completely present and involved in the topic of conversation is at the heart of the active listening practise.
Building up your active listening abilities can have a profoundly positive effect not just on your personal connections but also on your professional ones. Listening attentively is the first step towards accomplishing this goal, and with time, it will become a characteristic that comes easily to you as an individual. While someone is speaking, make an effort to comprehend them as closely as possible. Give yourself a pat on the back because you are well on your way to becoming an active listener once you begin to master listening so that you can remember the words that they have said.
Reading between the lines and recognising the tone conveyed by each word are both essential components of active listening. (Also see: Ways to Bring More Peace Into Relationships: Things You Can Do)
The impact that attentive listening can have on the quality of your relationship
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Usha Pratap, Additional Professor and Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Manipal College of Health Professions (MCHP), MAHE, Manipal, gave some vital ways to learn the art of active listening in order to have healthy relationships.
1. A better understanding can be achieved through active listening, which involves paying attention to the words, feelings, and nonverbal signs of the speaker. This results in a more in-depth comprehension of their message as well as their thoughts and feelings, which promotes clearer communication and reduces the probability of misunderstandings occurring.
2. Improved Relationships: Active listening fosters both trust and rapport between two people. When people have the sense that they are being heard and understood, they are more likely to open up and share, which results in relationships that are deeper and more meaningful on both the personal and professional levels.
3. Efficiently solving problems requires active listening, which involves gathering extensive information before coming up with solutions. This guarantees that any solutions or advice presented are well-informed and relevant to the speaker’s issues, increasing the possibility that an effective problem-solving solution will be found.
4. Decreased Risk of Conflict: Conflicts can be caused by misunderstandings and incorrect interpretations. Active listening mitigates these problems by increasing the likelihood of proper comprehension and preventing the formation of assumptions, so producing an atmosphere that is more conducive to harmony.
5. Improved Communication Skills: Practising active listening is an excellent way to enhance one’s ability to communicate effectively. It helps people pay attention more intently, improve their ability to articulate their views, and develop their capacity to ask questions that are pertinent and reflective.
6. Improved learning because active listeners are better able to retain the information they take in. This is helpful in educational settings, professional contexts, and ordinary conversations because it enables continual learning and development.
7. Respect and Validation: Showing respect for the thoughts and emotions expressed by the speaker by actively listening indicates regard for the speaker. This validation inspires them to share in a more open and truthful manner, which in turn contributes to a sense of deservingness and regard on their part.
8. Promotes Openness: When individuals are aware that they are being actively listened to, they are more willing to share their opinions and worries without the fear of being judged for doing so. Because of this openness, transparency is fostered, and true connections are encouraged.
9. Efficient Leadership: One of the most important skills for leaders is the ability to actively listen to others. It gives them the ability to grasp the viewpoints, worries, and wants of their team members, which ultimately results in more effective leadership and team cohesion.
10. Active listening makes it easier to understand the interests and concerns of the opposing party during negotiations. This is a significant benefit of active listening. This newfound understanding has the potential to lead to improved compromises and agreements that are satisfactory to both parties.
11. Increases One’s Own Self-Awareness Active listening demands one to be self-aware of their own preconceptions and biases, which in turn increases one’s own self-awareness. Personal development and emotional intelligence are both improved as a result of this type of reflection.
Dr. Prachi Sharma, Founder of Emo-Aid Wellness, is a therapist, Emotional Freedom Technique Trainer, and she discussed four techniques to create lasting connections via the art of active listening. Dr. Gupta brought her knowledge to the topic of active listening.
1. Listen with attention and focus.
Approach each interaction with the intent to learn. Pay close attention to every word that is spoken and try to understand it from the perspective of the person who is speaking. Quite sometimes, we take in information without truly comprehending what is being said by the speaker. This phenomenon takes place when our internal debate continues, causing us to only capture bits and pieces of what is being said. Our internal interpretations, which are formed by the unique experiences and beliefs that we have, portray the whole image for us. But when we listen attentively, our internal narratives fall away, the speaker’s perspective improves, and a genuine connection is strengthened.
2. Bring to light the most compassionate side of human nature
When we engage in active listening, we open ourselves up to the possibility of uncovering the natural depth of compassion that is inside each and every human being. When a holy man was instructing people on how the sensation of oneness and love may act as a medicine, a disciple asked the holy man what they should do if love did not work. The advice given by the saint was witty and insightful all at the same time: “Increase the dose.” Although it may sound funny from a logical position, it highlights the reality that human beings are emotional animals that not only react to love but also allow it to heal them. The act of actively listening to another person cultivates loving relationships, which leads to the dissolution of misconceptions and the expansion of dialogues beyond the confines of words, to the point where even gestures begin to speak!
3. Adopt a non-judgmental attitude in your approach
Recognise that no one is flawless and that you are not an exception to this rule. We are all flawed in some way. The act of passing judgement is analogous to making assumptions based on a point of view that has not yet matured. The ability to refrain from passing hasty judgements is a precious talent in this day and age of widespread prejudice. Even if you are unable to provide anything in the way of tangible returns, people will still really appreciate your willingness to reserve judgement. When we share our similarities with one another and listen actively to one another, we feel more intimately connected.
4. Cultivate a sense of connection and trust.
Hearing something isn’t enough to build up genuine trust in someone. It is developed by attentive listening. Take in the words of the person who is speaking to you, synchronise your feelings with theirs, and even try to imitate their body language. This routine helps to cultivate trust and confidence, which has an effect that goes beyond the talk. Actively listening is one of the best ways to foster trust in a society where broken relationships are often marked by trust concerns. If you do this, you will create the road for a long-lasting friendship as well as mutual comprehension.
When working on perfecting the skill of active listening, it is important to keep these four understandings in mind. Listen with the intention of understanding, foster compassion, refrain from passing judgement, and build trust.
“How many times have you thought you were actively listening to someone when you were having a conversation with them, only to find out later that you have no recollection of what they said? It’s possible that you were preoccupied with other things while they were talking, which caused you to entirely miss the point. In any kind of relationship, the ability of communication that is the most important is listening. According to Dr. Kishan Khanna, a Counselling Psychologist and the Founder of Insight Alchemy, “Silence is the very foundation for a place of calm and clarity from which we can hear what others have to say.” You might think that silence is something passive that is not useful in communication and relationships. However, it is the very foundation for a place of calm and clarity from which we can hear what others have to say.
She went on to provide five effective methods of active listening that can assist you in ensuring that the other person is heard and that they are aware that you are paying attention to what they have to say. These methods are as follows:
1. Give the person who is speaking your full and undivided attention, and recognise the content of what they are saying: Recognise that nonverbal communication “speaks” just as loudly as verbal communication. Direct your attention to the person who is speaking. Put distracting thoughts out of your mind. Do not even begin to formulate a response in your head! Try not to let external circumstances cause you to become sidetracked. The body language of the speaker is important, so “listen” to it. When listening in a group situation, it is important to refrain from engaging in any side talks.
2. Demonstrate that you are paying attention by utilising your own body language and gestures to communicate that you are paying attention. Nod your head every so often. Make sure you flash a smile and several other expressions. Take note of your posture and make sure it is open and inviting by checking it out in the mirror. In order to encourage the speaker to continue, you can provide brief verbal comments such as “Yes” and “Aha.”
3. Give feedback: The information that we take in might be distorted by our own personal filters, assumptions, judgements, and beliefs. Your job as an audience member is to comprehend what is being communicated to you. It is likely going to be necessary for you to think about what is being said and then ask some questions about it. By rephrasing what has been said, you can reflect on what has been spoken.
4. Resist the urge to pass judgement; it’s a waste of time to interrupt. It is frustrating for the one who is speaking, and it prevents a complete understanding of the content. Let the speaker complete their thought. Do not interject your opposing viewpoint at this time.
5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. Responding appropriately is the fifth and last step. You are expanding your knowledge and broadening your outlook. Attacking the speaker or putting them down in any other way contributes nothing to the conversation.
In your response, be sure to be open, honest, and sincere. Maintain a courteous tone while expressing your viewpoints. A good rule of thumb is to treat the other person the way you would like to be treated.
