an online book by David Gurteen
Active listening is attentively and intentionally listening to understand and retain communicated information. It involves paying attention, asking questions, and providing verbal and non-verbal feedback.
Active listening is the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-verbal messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing attentiveness to the message being presented.
Active listening is listening to understand. This form of listening conveys a mutual understanding between speaker and listener. Speakers receive confirmation their point is coming across and listeners absorb more content and understanding by being consciously engaged. The overall goal of active listening is to eliminate any misunderstandings and establish clear communication of thoughts and ideas between the speaker and listener. By actively listening to another person, a sense of belonging and mutual understanding between the two individuals is created.
The term "active listening" was introduced in 1957 by Carl Rogers and Richard Farson. It may also be referred to as reflective listening. Active listening encloses the communication attribute characterized by paying attention to a speaker for better comprehension, both in word and emotion. It is the opposite of passive listening, where a listener may be distracted or note critical points to develop a response. It calls for an attentive mind and empathetic concern for the speaker's perspective. The concept was developed in the 1950s by Carl Rogers and Richard Farson,Active listening encloses the communication attribute characterized by paying attention to a speaker for better comprehension, both in word and emotion. It is the opposite of passive listening, where a listener may be distracted or note critical points to develop a response. It calls for an attentive mind and empathetic concern for the speaker's perspective. Active listening is a communication technique designed to foster understanding and strengthen interpersonal relationships by intentionally focusing on the speaker's verbal and non-verbal cues. Unlike passive listening, which involves simply hearing words, active listening requires deliberate engagement to fully comprehend the speaker's intended message. Research has demonstrated that active listening promotes trust, reduces misunderstandings, and enhances emotional connection, making it a valuable tool in both personal and professional contexts.
Active listening is being fully engaged while another person is talking to you. It is listening with the intent to understand the other person fully, rather than listening to respond. Active listening includes asking curious questions such as, "How did you feel?" or "What did you think?"
Credit: Wikipedia - active_listeningA good listener listens slowly to what is being said. He does not jump ahead nor does he rush to judge nor does he sit there formulating his own reply. He focuses directly on what is being said. He listens to more than is being said. He extracts the maximum information from what he hears … Continue reading A Good Listener Listens Slowly to What Is Being Said Edward de Bono
The Great Unheard at Work by Mark Cole and John Higgins makes the case that silence always has something to say – it’s never neutral and speaks volumes if people are willing to hear. Our response to silence is often to dismiss or end it, to block it out with noise. Instead, silence needs to … Continue reading The Great Unheard at Work: Understanding Voice and Silence in Organisations Mark Cole and John Higgins (2023)
Gurteen Knowledge Blog May 21, 2023, 14:56In this video, Irshad Manji highlights the importance of harnessing diversity to unite society. She shares five critical skills for constructive conversations: deep breathing for rational thinking finding common ground genuinely exploring others’ perspectives active listening to learn encouraging further dialogue She proposes that adopting these skills fosters healthier outcomes … Continue reading The Importance of Harnessing Diversity to Unite Society Five critical skills for constructive conversations
Conversation Through the Lens of the Johari Window Empathy Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Conversations are essential to our lives; however, we often lack awareness during interactions, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. Developing conversational awareness through active listening, open-mindedness, and self-reflection can enhance communication skills and build stronger relationships. What is awareness? Awareness … Continue reading Conversational Awareness The skill of being able to pay attention to various elements of a conversation
Critical Thinking ** The Art of Navigating Conversations Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Continue reading Active Listening ** Listening attentively to understand and retain communicated information
Active Listening ** Conversational Continuous Self-improvement ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The success of a conversation largely depends on how we choose to respond during our turn to speak. Our responses can either facilitate a productive, high-quality discussion or derail it entirely. It is, therefore, essential to carefully consider our words, tone, … Continue reading The Art of Navigating Conversations Choosing our repsonses carefully
The Art of Navigating Conversations Difficult Conversations Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What is conversational continuous self-improvement? We can improve our conversational abilities through the process of conversational continuous self-improvement. Our goal is to become more effective and confident in our ability to communicate with others. How can we continuously improve our conversational … Continue reading Conversational Continuous Self-improvement ** Making ongoing incremental improvements to our conversations
