Do you listen in order to understand?
Or do you simply listen in order to reply?
Do you even realise how you listen?
Think back to a recent conversation. How were you listening?
Did you interrupt or wait impatiently for your chance to speak?
How much of your attention was on the person speaking?
Were you actively listening, or passively listening?
Do you think they felt listened to? Did they feel acknowledged?
How does it feel when someone really listens to you?
What are they doing differently?
How could you listen more effectively in your next conversation?
Notice that when you listen better, you feel different, and the conversation has a different quality about it.
My best wishes, Paul
