Being a good listener takes some practice and some effort on our part but if we are willing to put some time in to be a better listener, well, the benefits and rewards are worth it. This Motivational Monday’s blog are a few good reasons to that end to help us start the week off well!
Good listeners are not rushed in making judgments.
They are willing to think about something for a while. They don’t have to categorize everyone and everything immediately.
Better to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
Good listeners pay careful attention to words.
Good listeners don’t assume that an idea they are hearing is identical to an idea they are already familiar with simply because it has similarities.
Good listeners respect the complexity of reality and are willing to make fine distinctions and treat each person, each statement, each idea on its own terms.
Good listeners ask questions.
Good listeners Do Not Seek to embarrass or attack, but to clarify and distill.
Good listeners are not lazy.
Good listeners work hard to understand.
Good listeners exert energy in listening. For example, other people can usually tell that they are listening from their body posture and nonverbal communication.
Good listeners don’t feel threatened by not controlling the conversation.
Good listeners are comfortable with silence.
Good listeners give the speaker unthreatened, unhurried space in which to operate while communicating.
Good listeners understand that everyone has different communication styles, and adjust their listening to correspond to the speaker’s communication style.
Good listeners see that if the one they are with is shy, they try to draw the person out more. If that person is more talkative, they try to interject more. Etc. Good listeners don’t take a “once size fits all” approach to listening.
Good listeners interrupt intentionally and gently, rather than regularly and rashly.
Good listeners are willing to listen to something even if its hard to hear.
Good listeners don’t stop listening as soon as they become offended or turned off by the speaker.
Good listeners can handle the not so easy moments.
Good listeners don’t equate listening with agreeing.
Good listeners understand that careful listening equips us to disagree well, because by listening we understand more clearly what it is that we may disagree with.
Good listeners are not simply waiting to talk again when someone else is speaking.
Good listeners actually value the contributions of other people.
Good listeners remember that you can learn from anyone.
Good listeners realize that human condition and bias is such that the most learned person can still learn from a little child.
Good listeners love people.
Good listeners understand that listening is connected to every other aspect of relationships.
Good listeners understand that there is simply no substitute for genuine affection for other people.
Good listeners pay attention to nonverbal communication without discounting verbal communication.
Good listeners pay attention to the fact that those they are spending time with are paying attention to both nonverbal communication and verbal communication.
Good listeners are willing to speak.
Good listeners don’t equate listening with silence.
Good listeners understand that the speaker may need them to communicate in order to further the conversation.
Good listeners understand how important listening is to a relationship.
Good listeners don’t assume or underestimate the value of listening;
Good listeners value and seek to grow good listening skills.
Here's to a week of listening well!!
Dave
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