Research And Describe Techniques For Improving Listening (Essay Sample)

Techniques for Improving Listening
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Techniques for Improving Listening
Active listening amounts to full concentration on a speaker’s message passed on during a communication session. It involves acquiring the exact message from the speaker as it was intended. The modern society is marked by high-speed and high-tech experiences where communication is becoming critical every day. Being an efficient listener, rather than just passively hearing what the speaker says, is very crucial for success in business, problem solving relationships and other spheres of life. This paper elaborates on some of the techniques that are important in improving listening as part of effective communication.
Maintaining eye contact, while facing the speaker, is an important technique that helps promote effective listening. According to Schilling (2012), maintaining eye contact with the speaker is a paramount ingredient for effective communication. This implies that the listener will put aside any form of distraction and follow what the speaker is saying. As a result, maintaining eye contact with the speaker enables one to follow what is being said thus promoting active listening.
An active listener understands first before giving personal opinion. In regards to this, ones listening skills can be enhanced by maintaining an open mind. Schilling (2012) argues that one should listen without prejudgment of the speaker. Moreover, the tendency to criticize or jump to negative conclusions interferes with one’s listening (Mulvany, 1998). Therefore, maintaining an open mind is a crucial technique likely to enhance listening capabilities of an individual.
Paying attention to the visual cues that are speaker amounts to active listening. Indeed, Lewis and Graham (2011) suggest that one should listen and observe the accompanying feelings as displayed by the speaker. In this respect, the speaker uses several gestures to pass on the message. The motion of the hands, facial expressions, and general posture are part of the message that the speaker is passing on to listeners. Therefore, an active listener will embrace the technique of observing and listening to the feelings that are associated with the message.
In conclusion, to enhance on the listening skills, it is important for the listener ...