Effective listening requires the ability to understand what the speaker is saying. This skill is vital for all relationships, personal and professional.

 In business

Richard Branson, Virgin Founder, said the best advice his father ever gave him was to “Listen more than you talk.” He observes in a Linked-In post, “…the most successful entrepreneurs I know all have excellent listening skills in common. I presume those who choose not to listen must think they have already learned all there is to know.”
Mike Schak, owner of North Star NP, agrees. When consulting with customers, “I listen first to their needs, before trying to tell them what we can do. I then can design a custom solution.”

With family and friends

Brenda Ueland, in her wonderful essay “The Art of Listening ,” describes how she used to exhaust herself at parties, trying to witty and fascinating. “Now before going to a party, I just tell myself to listen with affection to anyone who talks to me, to be in their shoes when they talk; to try to know them without my mind pressing against theirs, or arguing, or changing the subject.”

 Are you a good listener?

Find out if you are a good listener by taking a test at Psychology Today.

To be an effective listener213, here are some dos and don’ts:

• Don’t plan what you are going to say while the other person is still talking.
• Do make eye contact.
• Don’t be judgmental of the person’s style or mannerisms.
• Do listen to tone and be aware of body language.
• Don’t interrupt or finish sentences.
• Do use clarification and reflection to get more information.