Guidelines to Develop Listening Skills

Listening is a skill that can be developed. The following are the guidelines for developing good listening skills:

1. A good listener has to exercise mental discipline over himself. Only if you concentrate properly, you can be a good listener.


2. Show good interest to listen which will avoid distractions.


3. Arrive early and be well prepared for the talk and sit at a comfortable place and distance.


4. Do not create distractions such as fiddling with pen, notebook, tapping the floor, etc.


5. Keep an open mind and be patient.


6. The listener should make the speaker comfortable by nodding the head, eye contact with the speaker, positive facial expressions, etc.


7. Do not contradict openly with the words like ‘I think you are wrong’ as this discourages the speaker.


8. Listen to the feelings of the speaker and not only to the words.


9. Do not interrupt, unless it is absolutely necessary. Do not be in a hurry to talk.


10. Concentrate and adopt a positive attitude towards the speaker.


11. The listener should try to empathize with the speaker and should place himself in his position.


12. Take brief notes of the important points when the message is essential to you but avoid taking down too much notes as you may not pay attention to what the speaker tries to emphasize.