Expressing yourself and listening to others are the two skillsets of communication but listening as a skill is often neglected. It’s something we’re not really taught how to do in school or at home. For some people, listening closely is a talent that comes naturally, but most of us are just used to letting our minds wander when we encounter people who are trying to talk about important topics. We listen with only one half of our ear cocked towards the speaker and the other cocked towards something else. Whether it be a text message on our phone, an email from a friend or family member, or just another thought popping into our mind, most of us fall short in that aspect.
What is Active Listening?
Active listening is more than just hearing words. It’s a challenge that involves not only hearing, but also understanding what people are saying and feeling. It can sometimes be difficult to grasp because we tend to start thinking or planning what we want to say next even before considering others’ thoughts and points of view on that. The more intentional you are, the more active listener you are in your communication skills. It is always worth the extra effort. By listening to people, we can gain insight into their needs and provide solutions that they will appreciate. So, why is listening so important? Here are the top 5 reason-
Why listening is important for better communication?
- Reduces misunderstanding
The first reason why listening is important is that it reduces misunderstandings. When you listen to someone else, you understand their point of view from their perspective, not yours. Listening helps us to understand what other people mean when they say something. Instead of jumping to conclusions about what they are trying to say or how they are saying it. When we listen in this way, we can avoid misunderstandings and build better relationships with others.
- Builds Trust
Listening builds trust because it shows people that you care about them and their feelings. This increases the likelihood that they will be more open with you in the future and share information or ideas with you. You can also use this tactic when speaking with others by making eye contact and nodding your head as a sign of agreement or understanding of what they have said without interrupting them in any way possible.
- Eliminate Conflicts
Conflict is inevitable in any workplace environment due to differences in opinions and beliefs that may vary from person to person or department to department, but when someone doesn’t listen, they ignore those differences and continue using their own opinion as if it was a universal truth but when we listen carefully, we can eliminate many conflicts between people because we understand each other’s thoughts and feelings better than anyone else.
- Strengthen Relationships
Relationships are important to everyone, but they are especially vital for businesses. To create a strong relationship with customers or clients, you need to listen to what they have to say and respond accordingly. When you listen carefully to what your customers have to say, they will feel appreciated and respected, which means that they will help you grow your business in the future.
- Increases efficiency and productivity
Active Listening is also important because it helps increase efficiency and productivity in your office environment. When everyone listens carefully and replies with accurate information, there is less wasted time and effort on misunderstandings or incomplete information about specific tasks or projects at hand.
Conclusion
To sum things up, active listening is important both personally and professionally. By investing in your own listening skills and encouraging others to do the same, you’ll be better equipped to handle any conversation or communicative situation. Therefore, when it comes to communication, listening is just as important as the actual words we speak. In the end, it’s still up to you to actively listen to others and work with them to reach a mutual understanding. But you should also be ready to listen more receptively and openly, as this will give you greater insight into what people are really trying to say.
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