Friday, November 05, 2010

Listening techniques

I wish that more people would learn how to practice reflective listening. It's a great way to communicate during meetings. It allows you to summarize someone's points, make sure that you've properly understood them, and affirm the fact that you value what they had to say.

At its core, it involves striving to understand the other person's idea, then restating that idea, phrased in one's own manner. By saying this back to the speaker, one can confirm the idea has been properly understood.