How can you actively listen and connect with others?

Being heard is one of the basic needs of human beings. Being accepted by others increases the feeling of belonging - the most valuable experience in the VUCA world today. After the pandemic physical and social isolation we face kind of psychological isolation and we struggle to deepen our social connections. Active listening is a skill that anyone can learn or improve. It can bring real positive change in people’s lives.

The most important part of communication is listening. Active listening followed by asking open-ended questions can improve the effectiveness of the conversation. Because open-ended questions can help in building rapport, welcoming fresh perspectives, etc. during a conversation. Also, In the long run, being an active listener can help to build strong relationships despite having just a single meaningful conversation.

Listening well to others is also proven to increase their feelings of wellbeing, their sense of wellbeing, their propensity to be open to alternative points of view. It can also lead to significant benefits for the person who is 'doing' the listening including improved feelings of wellbeing and stronger relationships.

I feel as leading and communication go hand in hand. I found authenticity and visibility are key when communicating effectively, be yourself and make yourself available to others. Simplicity and tactical direction when communicating can also enhance your effectiveness.

Lеadеrs thrivе by truly hеaring & sharing with fellow beings. Curiosity, prеsеncе and еmpathy build bonds and rеvеal insights. Mastеring еngagеmеnt foundеd on compassion and mindfulnеss is еssеntial. Lеadеrs who truly listеn to accеss insights and mеaning those еnrich thеir organizations, thеir rеlationships and thеmsеlvеs. >opеnеss approach > non vеrbal cuеs > silеncе with thoughtful rеsponsеs > authеntic intеrеst > challеngе countеrpoints rеspеctfully > sharе vulnerability

Respecting silence as part of active listening entails giving the speaker space and time during a conversation to pause and gather their thoughts. Silence is a natural and valuable component of communication because it allows people to process information, formulate ideas, and express themselves more thoughtfully. By not immediately filling the silence with your own thoughts or responses, you create an environment conducive to deeper reflection and insight. This respectful silence recognizes that people may require time to express their feelings or complex ideas, ultimately enriching the conversation and deepening understanding between both parties.

I agree with setting an intention. Sometimes I challenge myself to see how long I can go without speaking. My record is 20 minutes. Sometimes people just speak and speak and don't need any encouragement or interruption that only serves to block their thinking. My only intention is "am I giving this person the space and environment to think for themselves"

Listening didn't come easily to me :). Two things that I consciously practice is to have a clear purpose before entering into a conversation and to suspend all judgements.

I read the other day that the human mind can process 800 words per minute, and most people speak at around 150 words per minute. This means it's really challenging for the listener to totally clear their mind of other thoughts. There's a lot of bandwidth. With practice, you can notice your mind wandering and bring it back to focus on the person to whom you're listening.

Prior to calling customers I plan what I want to hear, so I have an outline framework. I take 30 seconds to breath deeply and set myself in a positive mindset to allow open dialogue and trust with who I am calling The retrospective checks after hanging up to understand how I engaged with the person and did I leave space for them to express themselves I allways remember that time is the most important give to a person so as not to rush the dialogue

Remember that it's entirely possible to make eye contact and nod along to what someone is saying without actually listening. How you respond to what they're saying is usually the best demonstration that you are listening to them in a meaningful way and ensuring that they feel heard. Be careful of bad habits like interrupting, jumping in with your own opinion or story, offering unsolicited advice and fixes.

Yes, these are all great ways to show active listening. I think too that finding a commonality with the other person is helpful to build trust. Maybe as they are talking, they mention something about their child, a pet, a sports team, or something that maybe they find minor or mundane but could be an easier way connect and continue the conversation.

I always like to confirm what the client has requested by repeating the information back to them. This shows active listening and understanding of what has been requested and what has been done so there is no miscommunication. Communicating effectively results in less errors and ensures the client's request has been completed accurately.

It's okay - and smart - to ask what the other wants or needs from you. No need to make it a guessing game. "How can I help?" "What do you need from me right now?" "Are you looking for advice, or do you just need to vent?" By setting the stage this way, you can adapt your listening and response style accordingly, and better match your colleague's expectations.

External noise is really disturbing, however, even more might be our internal noise. Keeping in mind the intention and goal of the conversation might keep our attention the right way. There is at least 7 levels of active listening, starting with almost ignoring, through selective listening for facts to fully empathetic deep listening that has the positive impact on wellbeing on both, speaker and listener. Being able to use meta-cognition and monitor our inner dialogue is a key to increasing our focus. Starting the conversation with “empty middle” - thus with no assumptions and judgments is very important as well as difficult. It needs high level of self awareness and ability to be honest with yourself.

Some of the biggest listening challenges we face are our own filters. We all tend to be selective with our attention, our interpretation, and our retention. These can be more dangerous than any external distractions that show up.

Increasing self-awareness of these challenges is key. We all do them at different times. Active listening is a skill that can be learned and practiced. Consider creating safe spaces where you and others might learn and practice these techniques with one another.

If there are barriers such as noise, you can suggest moving the conversation to a quieter location, which may be comforting to the other person because you want to be able to hear and help them. I think one of the challenging parts is to pause in the moment to say, hey I'm having trouble hearing you because of XYZ, can we go outside to continue the conversation? The pause may show honest caring.

When delegating tasks, ask for the staff to repeat back what you told them. You are actively listening to ensure accuracy. On completion, let the staff lead the after action review, doesn't have to be long. Can be a 1-5 minutes. You're listening to see if they can diagnose and remedy correctly and taking away the right lessons. This easily opens up the number of active listening reps one can get.

As you evolve your listening skills, pay close attention to your speaking to listening ratio. Over time, and as a leader you want to actively shift from more speaking than listening, to more listening than speaking.

If you want to be a long-term leader you need to move from active to generative listening. In active listening, you are still a recipient but in generative listening, you are contributing to generating an awareness. Typically it is the time when you can listen to the unspoken of the other person. A must competency of the chairman in a boardroom negotiator decision-makers

Four simple tips to listen actively and elevate your EQ using the 4Ls: Listen to what is being said without judgement or need to respond so you can learn, develop a sense of empathy and compassion for the other (love), and lead by example while helping others to embark on their leadership path. Li learn, love and

While leading, managing, sharing, or listening to issues and complaints - Listening to understand instead of answering can accomplish much on its own. In true communication, especially in leadership roles; understanding is key - "Buy-In" is essential.

One of the key challenge to active listening is "ego". It is crucial for us to demonstrate humility and patience during a conversation. It is also essential to curb the urge to respond and provide solution even before understanding the real issue.