Active listening involves listening with all senses. As well as giving full attention to the speaker, it is important that the ‘active listener’ is also ‘seen’ to be listening, otherwise the speaker may conclude that what they are talking about is not interesting to the listener. Interest can be conveyed to the speaker by using both verbal and non-verbal messages such as maintaining eye contact, nodding your head and smiling, agreeing by saying ‘Yes’ or simply ‘Mmm hmm’ to encourage them to continue. By providing this 'feedback' the person speaking will usually feel more at ease and therefore communicate more easily, openly and honestly.
Active Listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. Often when people talk to each other, they dont listen attentively. They are often distracted half listening, half thinking about something else. When people are engaged in a conflict they are often busy formulating a response to what is being said. They assume that they have heard what their opponent is saying many times before, so rather than paying attention they focus on how they can respond to win the argument. A few good principles to active listening would be listen with the intent to understand not the intent to reply, eye contact is always a good principle to active listening as well.
