By Alexandra Thompson
ablockton@lc.edu
Have you ever been around your friends or in a group among other individuals and there always seems to be that one person who just seems to never be quiet? It’s as if no matter who is talking, that one individual has to always have something to say. There are many reasons why someone would continue to talk a lot among others. Especially, while being rude and disruptive! At that point, it is more so annoying.
But realizing that it is simply alright to be quiet and listen is a better solution. A person does not always have to be the one talking!
Being able to listen effectively has benefits such as helping resolve conflicts, inspiring others, strengthening teams and building trust, which is very important when it comes to forming leadership. By being able to spend most of your conversations listening and you’ll absorb the information as it is given to you.
Initially, when you are listening first it is known as learning through listening. Listening has been a key method of learning for a long time! By going beyond education, it encourages us to help other people understand others better simply by listening. It is considered to be the main skill in whether you are able to make or break a situation.
Throughout life having listening skills are very important because it is part of effective communication. Hearing is just the physical ability, while listening is a skill.
Maintaining eye contact while listening to someone, no matter what the occasion may be, is very beneficial in the listening process. This will be able to demonstrate to the speaker that the listener is fully paying attention.
It is very rude and disrespectful to interrupt the speaker. It’s best not to wait until he or she is completely finished, then ask questions. By listening for a length of time you may have already received the answers to your questions without the need of you to ask any.
Overall, being a good listener is a highly recommended skill to have throughout anyone’s life because it is a learning technique. Listening skills allow one to make sense of and understand what another person is saying. For example, listening skills allow people to be able to understand what someone is talking about just by the meaning behind the words.
