COM 105 How to Practice Active Listening

Active listening as a communication skill is essential for individuals in both the personal and professional life as it helps them go beyond simply hearing words and statement from a speaker or another but seeking an understanding and in-depth meaning as well as the intention behind them (Jonsdottir & Fridriksdottir, 2020). In practicing active listening, one focuses exclusively on what a speaker says instead planning the responses like what happens during a conversation or debate. Active listening entails a host of techniques like making eye contact, not disrupting the speaker, developing and demonstrating interest as well as being open-minded and not making judgments and being patient (Martins, 2022).

A recent situation occurred during a training session in our facility where these techniques may have helped me to better understand the content by the speaker. The training was about developing better communication skills to handle diverse patients, especially the elderly with chronic conditions. These skills are essential as observing them would have allowed me to focus more on the techniques and understand them as well as apply them in care delivery in the facility through my interactions with patients and even colleagues (Jones et al., 2019). For instance, I interrupted the speaker and would not make eye contact and this compromised my ability to understand the content being delivered during the session.

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The development of these techniques is a significant opportunity for one to grow and improve their active listening skills because they enhance focus on the content and message. These techniques allow one to connect with the content and speaker at a deeper level and ensure that they develop a rapport with people, especially in healthcare settings when dealing with diverse patients and even colleagues and the management (Wanko et al., 2020). These techniques ensure that one understands the significance of the message from a speaker in a comprehensive manner.

References

Jonsdottir, I. J., & Fridriksdottir, K. (2020). Active listening: Is it the forgotten dimension in

managerial communication? International Journal of Listening, 34(3), 178-188. https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2019.1613156

Jones, S. M., Bodie, G. D., & Hughes, S. D. (2019). The impact of mindfulness on empathy,

active listening, and perceived provisions of emotional support. Communication Research, 46(6), 838-865. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215626983

Martins, J. (2022 May 21). Listening to understand: How to practice active listening (with

examples). https://asana.com/resources/active-listening

Wanko, K. E. L., Kerr, J., & Jarvis, M. A. (2020). Evidence of nonverbal communication

between nurses and older adults: a scoping review. BMC Nursing, 19(1), 1-13. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00443-9

COM 105 How to Practice Active Listening