3 ways to become a better listener

Listening can be difficult

You may want to be present and listen but sometimes that can be difficult. Your own head may be full of other things, it may be things that disturb the environment you are in or sometimes the person talking is just so boring. But listening is something that is important to know, both as a leader, friend and family member.

Practice!

As with many things, you can become a better listener with practice. Now you may be sitting and thinking about how you can practice this and that is good because we have 3 tips for you.

1, decide to become a better listener!
It may not happen overnight, but if you make up your mind and really try, it will get easier. For example, you may decide not to interrupt the person you are listening to or find that even if you find the topic boring, it may be interesting because the person speaking is very engaged. And who knows, you might learn something new.

2, focus on the speaker.
Put the phone away, preferably in your pocket, you can even turn it off for a while. Research shows that we have a part of the brain focused on the phone if it is where we can see it, it becomes a distraction. And if you really want to show that you’re listening, don’t answer calls or messages during that time.
Look at the person speaking and show with facial expressions that you are listening and following along.

3, ask, preferably about how it felt.
Emotions are almost always connected to what a person is talking about, whether it’s something fun and exciting or difficult. If you’re having trouble coming up with a good question, “how did you feel then?” or “how did it feel?” almost always work. It shows you are interested, not only in the subject, but in the person speaking.

A bonus tip is to set aside time to listen, for example during a walk. This makes it easier for you to limit the time for the actual listening and for the person speaking to understand when to finish. And during a walk, it can feel easier to open up if you want to talk about something difficult, because you are walking side by side.