Be a More Active Listener

Contributed by Curtis Newbold, PhD

Difficulty level: Easy

Learning to be an active listener is a tremendously beneficial life skill that goes far beyond work. As you master the skill of listening, you become much more effective at building and maintaining relationships; you’re better able to break down communication barriers; you’re in a stronger position to resolve conflicts; and you become a more productive collaborator. Engaging in active listening makes you more empathetic, more productive, and more respectful—all qualities people view as essential to being a collaborative team member and a strong leader.

So, What Exactly Is “Active Listening?”

Active listening is often defined as a communication skill where you consciously engage in mental, verbal, and non-verbal actions in order to better understand people and their messages. In a broad, practical sense, active listening will help you connect with people—it will help you better understand what others want and need, and it will help you know how to act on messages important in the moment, in your life, and in your career.

But becoming an active listener isn’t necessarily easy. It requires deliberate effort. As with any skill, active listening requires action—you have to focus your attention; you have to foster a sincere effort to understand; and you have to express intentional verbal responses and non-verbal cues. Active listening is more than just hearing what someone has to say; it requires ...