What are some common mistakes or pitfalls to avoid when practicing active listening skills?

En plus d'éviter les interruptions, il est important de prêter attention aux signaux non verbaux de l'orateur. Observer le langage corporel, les expressions faciales et le ton de voix peut fournir des indices précieux sur les émotions et les intentions de l'orateur, renfor?ant ainsi la qualité de la communication et des relations interpersonnelles.

The easiest way to approach this is to have a mental timer with high-value conversations. Once a person stops speaking count “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi” before responding. Add an additional second when speaking over the phone.

In my experience, one of the most challenging aspects of effective communication is truly listening without interruption. It's easy to get caught up in formulating your response while someone else is speaking. One of the most obvious signs of poor active listening is interrupting or jumping to conclusions before the speaker has finished their point. This can make them feel frustrated, disrespected, or misunderstood, and damage the trust and rapport between you. To avoid this, try to be patient and let the speaker finish their thoughts without cutting them off or assuming what they mean. If you need to clarify something, wait for a pause or ask for permission to interrupt.

Something that I always suggest to my teammates to improve active listening skills and engaging in the corresponding conversation, which go hand in hand, is preparation. For example, if you are going into a meeting silence your phone/put it away, engage in the content being presented, take a few notes, and always have at least two questions or comments. This shows the speaker that you were actively engaged with what they were presenting.

By avoiding judgment and criticism, and instead focusing on understanding the speaker's perspective, we can foster more meaningful and productive conversations. Reflecting back what we hear and asking open-ended questions are excellent strategies to show genuine interest and respect.

This is so true. It's disheartening when you feel like your input hasn't been heard or valued. A fifth common mistake is to forget or ignore what the speaker has said, instead of remembering and following up on it. This can include changing the subject, repeating yourself, or failing to act on what was agreed or promised. These actions can make the speaker feel ignored, dismissed, or betrayed, and undermine the resolution of the issue. To avoid this, try to remember and acknowledge what the speaker has said, and follow up on any actions or commitments that were made. Review the main points, summarize the outcomes, and check for understanding and satisfaction.

This is a VERY weak list of possible mistakes in active listening. Decades ago I published a list of a dozen or more mistakes in active listening (along with examples) and this list doesn't even scratch the surface. Ugh.