HOW TO BE A GOOD LISTENER

• Give the person who is speaking your full attention. Don’t jump to conclusions and start thinking about your answer before they have finished speaking.

• Get rid of distractions. Listening may seem easy but it isn’t. We need to be ‘all ears’.

• Be curious. Be interested in both the message and the person who is speaking. Imagine that you are the detective in the conversation and it is your job to gather information.

• Show that you are listening by watching for and using body language. Is the speaker trembling or relaxed? Using eye contact or nodding to show that you understand, facing towards the person who is talking are all ways we can do this.

• Don’t interrupt the speaker or finish their sentences for them. Be patient and let them get their message across in their own time.

• Reply at the right time, to let the speaker know you have understood. This shows that you are paying attention.

• Recognise that people have different views and opinions. Just because we don’t agree with them doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t listen to them. This may be a wonderful opportunity to learn something new.

“The word ‘LISTEN’ contains the same letters as the word ‘SILENT’ ”

Alfred Brendel