Active Listening During a Conversation

The first step is to prepare your space for a good conversation. Next, you need to get to work and employ some active listening strategies. These are not difficult to use, but you may need to practice them. You will get better at them over time. Review the following strategies and consider how you can integrate them into your conversations.

Maintain eye contact and use open body language to show attentiveness. Look directly at the person with whom you're talking. Don't stare at them! Just keep eye contact so your communication partner knows you are focused on the conversation. Looking away can imply you're not paying attention or don't have interest in the person. This is true in person and on a camera. You can also sit in a way that shows you are paying attention. Sit up straight and lean in just slightly towards the person you're speaking with. This works on a webcam, too. Webcams can magnify your face so the person you're speaking with knows every time you look away or get distracted.

Focus on the speaker and avoid interrupting or thinking about what you're going to reply. Make sure you fully understand what your conversation partner needs before you start making suggestions. Jumping to conclusions can miss key information. It can shut down a conversation so your partner doesn't receive what they need from you. Let people talk and get everything out that they want to say. People will often share more information if you pause 3-5 seconds before replying to someone. You may also want to take notes during conversations. This can help you determine those action steps at the end and identify future topics to discuss.

Demonstrate empathy and understanding through verbal and non-verbal cues. Empathy is showing someone you are trying to understand their motivations and interests. You're on their side and you show it in how you act and what you say. You don't always have to speak to communicate. You can engage people with your body language and verbal prompts that encourage them to understand that you are listening. You can nod or smile, when appropriate. Include "yes" prompts when appropriate. "Yes" prompts include "yes," "go on," or even "uh-huh" to confirm that you're listening. Don't overdo it, though. It should seem natural. This is something you can practice. Look at your computer or laptop camera when you are using a webcam. The video of the person on your screen may be below the camera and they end up seeing the top of your head.