ACTIVE LISTENING
Active listening is another
skill that can have great
benefits.
It makes a person feel that
you understand both the
content and the feeling
behind the content. It
reduces defensiveness
and defuses emotional
situations by helping a
person devote his energy to
the issue at hand. Active
listening
requires you to lengthen
your attention span and use
your excess mental capacity
to concentrate on what is
being
said This ability comes from
the fact that our brains can
process information at a
rate of over 1,000 words per
minute
while
most people speak at less
than 150 words per minute.
In active listening, you
listen to the details of
what is
said and then summarize the
main points that you
heard. You must consciously
pay attention to what is
being said. Do the
following: catalog the
information
in your head, make brief
notes, ask questions for
clarification, watch the
body language and facial
expressions,
listen for what is not said,
and prepare to paraphrase
back to the speaker what you
heard in your own words.
You restate your
understanding of the content
by beginning
with something like, "You
felt that...because..."
This is a non-judgmental
statement of what you heard.
Active listening is not hard
to do but you must make an
effort to try it since we do
not practice it in our normal
interactions. As a presenter
in an informal setting,
you may want others to
actively listen to what you
have
to say, but how do you get
them to do it? The use of
leading questions can force
others to actively listen.
Use
questions such as, "What do
you think I mean by that?"
or "So I know we're going in
the same direction, what do
you understand my
point to be?" or "Would you
please
summarize my perspective on
this?" This approach helps
others to pay attention and
process the information,
creates
an opportunity for two-way
communication, and
provides feedback to ensure
that you were successful in
conveying your message.
After there is an
understanding
of your message, there can
be discussion about it.
PUTTING YOURSELF AT EASE
Almost everyone who presents
feels nervous before starting.
Most people report that
their nervousness reaches a
peak just before they start.
The key to dealing with this
is
captured in the Boy Scout
motto, "Be prepared." But
how
you prepare needs to be in
ways that work for you. What
is good for one person may
not work for another.
Below are some tips that can
help you feel more at
ease. They include
strategies you can employ
well ahead
of time as well as some that
can help with your last
minute anxieties.
Continued