Active listening requires a disciplined effort to silence
all that internal conversation while we are attempting
to listen to another human being.”
James H
Active listening requires a disciplined effort. What does that mean? Active listening is just that — active. It means being fully present to another individual as they speak. By fully present we don’t just mean physically present but emotionally and mentally present as well. It’s not easy to do this, especially when there are so many distractions tugging at us. Our internal conversations rob us of the ability to communicate the message that we are truly interested in and value what our prospects, clients, co-workers, and loved ones have to say.How active is your internal talk? Notice when your internal talk is planning what you are going to say, thinking about the consequences of your next statement, focused on another project or task, judging the other person, or worrying about something else. Raising your level of awareness is the first step to becoming a more active listener.
The second step is to actively work on dropping the internal chatter when interacting with others. Develop a strategy for releasing your internal talk. Some people imagine a container where they place their thoughts for future access while other find that just naming the talk helps to drop it in the moment. Whatever strategy you develop, practice it over and over until it becomes habit.
Active listening says what you have to say matters … don’t we all want to experience that?
