Not Keeping an Open Mindīill Nye once said “ everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t” and we couldn’t agree more. To become an effective listener, you should first learn to avoid all the habits that can a bad listener, starting with: #1. Facial expressions and tone of voice are what deliver 93% of the message when we speak and only 7% is communicated through words.We only remember 17% to 25% of what we listen to.Nichols`s book showed that in the first and second grade 90% of children were listening to their teachers, while in middle school that number dropped to 44% and in high school to 28%. A school experiment described in Ralph G. We are inefficient listeners and it gets worse as we age.While we are listening to someone we only use 25% of our mental capacity.This means that for every 125 words spoken per minute, you can listen to or think around 400 words. Our mental capacity to listen is a lot larger than our capacity to speak.After 10 minutes of listening, our attention span drops down to 50% and after 48 minutes it goes down to 25%. The longer we listen, the less information we remember.Humans spend the majority of their day communicating and 40% of this communication consists of listening.If you’re still doubting whether listening is a beneficial skill, here are some recent statistics to make up your mind: Why Is Listening Important? 7 Statistics About Listening You Should Know Today If you find it hard to stay focused when someone is speaking, try to sharpen your attention skills by reading, playing memory games, or even meditating. To do this, you shouldn’t assume what’s being said or steer the conversation towards a specific topic - instead, you should go with the (speaker’s) flow.Ī lot of people have a short attention span. Adjustment, which is about adapting to the speaker and to where the conversation is going.To pay attention, you have to be physically AND mentally there. Removing external triggers (like your phone) is not enough - especially if you have a short attention span or tend to daydream. Attention, which is about focusing on the conversation and ignoring distractions.To be an active listener, you should keep an open mind and a positive attitude - even if you don’t agree with what is being said. Attitude, which is about how you approach the speaker.

The three As of active listening summarize this concept. Active Listening in Practice - 5 ExamplesĪctive listening is the process of listening to the speaker mindfully, providing feedback, observing their body language and other non-verbal cues, and being empathetic towards their emotions to ensure effective communication.7 Tips to Improve Your Active Listening Technique.

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