Active listening is characterised by the ability to concentrate on what the other person is saying, without being distracted. It is determined by the intention of listener to understand, and not just to respond. Communication coach Navneet Kaur, in an interview with HT lifestyle, said, “Whether personal or professional relationship, active listening is of utmost importance in any communication. Active listening means fully concentrating on what the other person is saying, respecting the emotions and remembering the talk that gives a better understanding of the speaker.” The coach further shared ways by which we can learn the art of active listening to improve our relationship.

Ask open ended questions:

Whenever you feel that the other person has stopped telling their part, try to ask something empathetically in the form of an open-ended question. This opens up the space for them to share their deeper perspectives and vulnerabilities.

Use paraphrasing:

When we summarise what the other person has said till now, we help them to understand what we understood from their words. This creates more clarity in the relationship and helps in effective communication.

Eye contact:

Through the conversation with the speaker, maintaining eye contact is crucial as it makes the speaker confident about himself. Non-verbal communication is of immense importance as it invokes the feeling of attentiveness being offered by the listener.

Conflict resolution:

This is known as a process to eliminate a conflict and draw a conclusion that is best suited in the interest of all the parties involved. This also involves apologising when needed and taking accountability for our own actions.

Reflective listening:

A great speaker should also be a great listener and for dispute handling, we need to be a reflective listener too. This helps in understanding if we are on the same page with the speaker.

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