Listen Better During a Conversation

Listen Better During a Conversation

Listen Better During a Conversation : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Billions of conversations happen every day in our world—from basic face-to-face talking, to primitive snail mail, personally carried notes and letters, and radio-frequency communications; to modern mobile telephoning, SMS messaging, and Internet chatting; to even more modern video conferencing and 3G, 4G, and 5G video phone experiences. Our world is filled with these communication media and devices, yet since the dawn of time, there have always been many communication gaps.

Communication is a two-way (sometimes three-way or even 10-way) street, and depending on the medium used, the quality of communication differs. Communication is basically carried out by two important parties—the speaker and the listener. These two parties switch roles as their communication develops into a conversation in which they take turns speaking and listening. This article is intended to help reduce these gaps so that all of us can be better listeners and, eventually, better speakers in conversations in which we take part. The following are things to consider when participating in a conversation.

The following are things to consider when participating in a conversation.

• Focus. When you start talking to people, it is important to remember that you and the person you are talking to have an obligation to yourselves and to each other: to understand the other. What better way to do this than by giving nothing less than your full attention to your conversation partner? Setting aside all other thoughts and concerns unrelated to the conversation or topic should make the path you are on the best one. Another useful tip is to look your conversation partner in the eye when he is talking. This allows you to really absorb and digest what has been said and paves the way for fuller understanding.
• Never interrupt. There is a very thin line between communication and miscommunication. Unfortunately, this thin line is almost always crossed simply by interrupting the other person while he is still in the middle of expressing his thoughts. It is best to be patient, to keep your mouth shut and your ears wide open and your mind even wider as your conversation partner is talking, so you can gather the correct information and respond correctly. Many people fall into the trap of miscommunication and misunderstanding because they try to jump the gun and formulate a response even while the other person is still talking. This is a pitfall that only facilitates more negative results than good.
• Aim to understand, then be understood. Countless conversations have made their way toward the negative side of communication—miscommunication. This is, in great part, caused by a lack of focus, as was shared in the first tip. However, there is one outstanding factor that causes this unfortunate reality: selfishness. In all that we do, sometimes we focus too much on our feelings and lose sight of the other person’s feelings or situation. This aggravates the other person’s situation because he feels that he is not understood and further oppressed by unnecessary offense. One effective way of solving this downward spiral is to swallow your pride and aim to understand first before you expect the other person to understand you. As you calm down and become more diplomatic, you will realize that your conversation partner will also calm down and open up to a more peaceful conversation.