Tips To Listening Better From A Lifelong Listener

The greatest gift you can give to someone is your time. Giving your time goes beyond simply just being there. What good is your time if you're not present? A big part of being present involves doing something that people really just don't do very much. I would say people don't do it anymore but in my lifetime (which hasn't been very long), I don't recall there ever being a great time of listening. The skill of listening has declined over time with the advent of mobile technology. Now it's difficult to have a conversation with someone without them checking their phone every four minutes. Further, in a world of instant gratification people only listen long enough to sort of hear what you're saying to think of their response. I am a listener. I have always been a listener. I rather talk than listen. That may seem odd for someone who aspires to public speaking, but not really. The one thing a listener really wants is to be heard. People like me spend our lives being present in conversations, not picking up our phones, and clarifying what we just heard. Unfortunately, the favor is rarely returned. One of the many things I have observed as a listener is that people are so used to not being listened to that they will just keep talking until you interrupt them. I get this a lot. I'm listening as a person speaks for five, even ten minutes straight without a break. I rarely interrupt. I don't like interrupting or being interrupted. Since I don't interrupt, the person will eventually stop speaking and ask why I'm not contributing or saying anything, almost in frustration. To which I reply "I'm listening to you". There is almost always a look of shock. People often speak so fast or so much in anticipation of being interrupted. But alas, as a listener 90% of the time, I'm going to let you talk. I have also come to believe that people are largely unaware of the habits that are making others feel unheard. I'm using heard and listen interchangeably here, but I do distinguish between hearing and listening. Hearing is simply the observation of sound. Listening is interpreting the sound (in this case talking), comprehending it, and reacting accordingly. I do sometimes say "I don't feel heard" to mean the same as listening. Now with that out of the way, here are tips to becoming a better listener from a life long listener.

Put Down The Device

It really isn't necessary to have the phone in your hand while talking to someone. I typically don't even bring my phone to meetings. If it's a meal, I usually leave it in my bag. I know. It's just a quick glance. But typically that quick glance is right in the middle of someone else's story. Or what's quick to you is much longer to them. If you're expecting an important message, then set the expectation with the person at the beginning. I have attended meetings where every single person is typing on their computers or punching away at their phones. Yes, everyone is busy. But somehow listeners manage to listen to everyone and get their work done too. For one week when you attend a meeting or hang with friends, leave the phone at the desk or in the car. You can't give someone your time if your nose is buried in a screen.

Resist The Urge To Interrupt - Better Yet, Don't

The reason I don't interrupt is because I'm focused on what the person is saying. I do interrupt at times. Sometimes it's out of excitement, other times the person may have misunderstood a piece of information and needs a course correction. Sometimes I interrupt because I realize the person won't stop talking until I do or I just want to say what I want to say. The reason you shouldn't interrupt isn't simply because it's rude. You can't understand what the other person is saying, feeling, or thinking if you're talking over them. The message you're unintentionally sending is that what they want to communicate doesn't matter to you. You have something to say and you're going to say it. This is also how misunderstandings get started. I have amazing recall for conversations, not because I have an incredible memory, it's because I'm listening in the first place. For one week don't interrupt anyone for any reason.

Repeat What They Say

A great technique for active listening is to repeat what the person said to you but in your own words. This lets the other person know you're listening and solidifies the information in your own mind. A great way to do this is to say "This is what I heard you say...... Is that correct?" I once knew a person who would say they understood what I was saying but then when it was repeated back to me at a later date it was drastically different and damaging. This was completely frustrating because it meant clearly the person wasn't listening and projected something entirely wrong on to me. For one week repeat back to the person what you heard them say in your own words. If they correct you, say it again until they agree.

Don't Reinterpret The Message

This can be a tricky one. Some people are very direct. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Others speak in veiled language. There is a time for both. It's going to take some knowledge of the person, but don't assume every message is a veiled one. An example of veiled language is to say a house is cozy when it's small. Here is another example. Once upon a time I was interviewing for a role. I asked the interviewer, who was the VP of something, what his leadership philosophy is. His response was "so what you're really asking me is what do I do." It was an interview so I responded with "sure", but what I really wanted to say was "no". I asked exactly what I wanted to know and the reinterpretation was so far off. This becomes easier as you get to know a person. You'll know when they're using veiled language versus being more direct. For one week just assume that people you don't know well are saying what they mean, don't reinterpret it.

Enjoy The Freedom

Allow the conversation to go where it goes, within reason of course. Another aspect of non-listening behavior I've observed is the need to keep the conversation rigid. Because the talker is talking and not listening, they want to keep the conversation focused where they want it to be. Have you ever been having a conversation with someone where you apologized for something and they just kept talking about it? They continued to talk about why they were hurt or offended or upset, and completely grazed over the apology that they seem to want so badly? We have all been there. Had the other person been listening the discussion could have been allowed to move in a different direction. One of the reasons I like listening is because, every now and again, the conversation can become so random it's fun. You get to learn so much about people and it's cool. It's also freeing to just sort of go where the conversation takes you. For one week just go with the flow, within reason. I mean, if you're supposed to be talking about fixing world hunger, you should probably stick with that. The next time you find the other person in the conversation isn't talking very much consider two things. One, you may be doing most of the talking and it's time to listen; and two they are a listener and would really welcome the opportunity to talk if they know they'll be heard. Encourage them to contribute. By the way, most great leaders are also great listeners.