One of the most important social skills is undoubtedly knowing how to listen. In any conversation and social interaction, having an active listening will mean that you can earn the trust and respect of the other person.
When we talk about active listening, we mean listening at all levels, both through oral and verbal language. Pay attention to your interlocutor with all your senses , offering him a communication space in which he can express what he needs without feeling judged.
Let’s not confuse hearing with listening. Many times we believe that we know how to listen , and the reality is that while the other person is speaking, we are already thinking about what we are going to say or even about other issues.
The active listening goes far beyond, besides facilitating effective communication. In the next test you will be able to see if you really have this ability.
Can you listen? Take this test and find out
- When someone tells me about an experience that has been important to them, I try to put myself in their shoes and understand their situation. v – f
- When someone close to me tells me something unpleasant that has happened to him, I listen carefully and say I’m sorry. v – f
- You consider that empathy is necessary when listening to another person. v – f
- When someone talks to me, I usually look at their face and express gestures that indicate that I am following them in their conversation. v – f
- I let the person who is telling me about their experience speak, even though I have had a similar experience. v – f
- I am often interested in what people who are important to me say. v – f
- People around me like to tell me about their experiences. v – f
- I try to understand the person who is telling me something important before I judge them. v – f
- I like to attend to other people’s experiences and learn from them. v – f
- When I talk to another person, most of the time the conversation usually flows and I understand their point of view. v – f
Test results :
Score one point for each true answer. If your score has been 5 points or more , congratulations! You are a person who undoubtedly knows how to listen.
Those who know you know that they can talk to you, and tell you what they need. You attend to both the words and their deep content, and you become aware of non-verbal language. This social skill will help you a lot to maintain satisfying personal relationships.
If your score has been less than 5 , this is a key point to work on. Don’t worry, you can exercise this ability, you simply have to pay more attention to the people you are talking to, trying to do more of your part to let them express themselves, and put all your senses in that direction. Understand that silences, gestures, and tones are part of communication.