My Blog

Communication is a process of exchanging information between two or more people. If someone is talking but nobody is listening, no communication is taking place. In order to communicate actively, we should not only  be a good speaker but also an active listener. Below are guides to enhance activ listener.

•  Do not talk when someone is speaking. Active listening demands total concentration. You cannot fully get the meaning of what you hear if you are talking.
• Put the speaker at ease. You should give him/her a permisive environment. It is advisable to talk in a place which is free from disturbance.
• Be interested in what the speaker wants to say. Looking at him / her directly in the eyes with a pleasant smile simply shows that you want to listen.  The sender might not able to convey everything that he / she really wants to say if the receiver does not look interested.
• Distractors should be removed. Likewise, a pupil having an attractive magazine will surely be tempted to divert his / her attention from the teacher’s lecture to the magazine he / she is holding.
• Develop  empathy with the talker. The message that the sender wants to convey might be distorted if he / she feels that the listener does not see his / her side or opinion. Trying to help ourselves see the speaker’s point of view would greatly help enhance active listening.
• Be Patient. You have to allow plenty of time to listen. Most often, miscommunication takes place if the message is sent or received in a short time.
• Hold on to your temper. He / she oftentimes takes a wrong meaning from words. This might be difficult to do, but when it is overcome, it becomes a virtue.
• Do not argue. If a listener argues, even if he / she wins, he / she is still a loser.
• Ask questions. Perfect communication is possible if the transmitted idea is perceived by the listener exactly the same way as it was envisioned by the speaker.