Effective communication can make you an effective leader and success can come much more easily. It is very important to be a confident and efficient communicator so that others can understand you. However, in order to become an effective communicator, you need to be an effective listener first.
To be a good listener, you need effective listening skills, which will help you understand other peoples' point of view. However, most people generally overlook the skill of listening. Actually, communication is never a complete process if you are only a good speaker without being a good listener. You may be very good at expressing your thoughts effectively. But if you are not good at understanding other people's point of view, it will never be considered effective communication.
Usually, speaking is considered an active process and listening is claimed to be a passive process. Listening, however, is undoubtedly an active process, too. It doesn't just mean sitting in front of someone and staring at their eyes. In order to understand someone better, you need to analyze their thoughts and words. Additionally, you need to show that you are listening. For instance, you can say "I see," "go on" or just nod your head. Of course, in the case of disagreement, you do not necessarily have to do that. You can also ask questions if you have problems understanding that person's perspective. Asking questions will not only improve your listening habits but also make the other person realize that they are being heard.
Too often, we attach great importance to the skill of speaking; however, most of us do not value the skill of listening very highly. Now is the time for you to break the old stereotype (刻板印象) and follow the new trend, which is a contributing factor to effective communication.
