By: Maria Luiza M. Olo
Being able to listen or to be heard makes someone feel valued. It makes him feel important, understood and appreciated. So, listening is a powerful tool that makes everyone safe and connected.
There are number of reasons to be a good listener. It connects someone to the environment around him, people that surround him and help him to understand what his responsibilities are. Also, being a good listener is important in social life. It will help to improve relationships because being able to listen to someone fosters meaningful relationships with those people around him. Listening is different from hearing when someone is listening; he is not only focused on the words but also to the actions and feeling that are conveyed. When someone is talking, it is important to keep quiet and stay focused. Clear our mind from unnecessary thinking or wandering. Stop talking and avoid any movements that can distract anybody from talking for it makes him feel that you are bored or uninterested of what he is saying. He will feel ignored, unimportant and can loss his confidence.
Being a good listener can solve conflicts and misunderstanding among employees because, it gains more clarity of information to make decisions to solve the problems. Another importance of a good listener is that he can earn respect by understanding the other person. Everyone has each own world, filled with own ideas opinions and thoughts, if he listens well, he’ll try to understand and see the oth r’s perspective. In that case, he can easily voice out his own opinion without hurting the other side because that person will also understand and broaden his horizon and respect each opinion.
Having a communication skill is not just about being a good speaker but also a good listener. Being able to listen is essential to our personal and professional life. So, being a good listener is a skill that people must practice.