Tips for improving your active listening skills

Filling space in a conversation isn’t always necessary. Sometimes people just need to feel heard. But hearing is not the same as listening. Being a good listener requires taking in what the person is saying, as well as how they are saying it. Here are some tips to improve your active listening.

• When you are listening, really listen. No phones or other distractions.
• Avoid interrupting. Wait until the other person has finished speaking.
• Aim at a ratio of 90% listening and 10% talking.
• Keep your conversation related to what the other person is saying.
• Don’t offer advice unless asked for it.
• A comfortable physical environment helps us concentrate so that we can listen.

Source: Lantern Training