Active listening
Listening well is an active skill. When people feel understood, they share more, resist less and trust your conclusions.
Key ideas
- Listen to understand, not to reply.
- Reflecting back shows understanding and catches errors.
- Good questions open the conversation further.
Step by step
- 1
Give full attention: no device, no rehearsing your reply.
- 2
Summarise what you heard in your own words.
- 3
Name the feeling or priority behind it when appropriate.
- 4
Ask one open question before giving your view.
Example
A manager hears a complaint about workload, summarises it, and asks which task feels least valuable. The conversation moves from frustration to a concrete fix.
Your drill
In your next conversation, summarise the other person's point before making your own, and notice their reaction.
Common mistakes
- Interrupting with solutions too early.
- Asking questions that are really disguised advice.
Check yourself
Why summarise before responding?
Show the answer
It confirms you understood, corrects misunderstandings and makes the other person feel heard.
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