Remember that your nonverbal feedback can be useful for a speaker, as it signals that you are listening but also whether or not you understand. Speakers should present complex information at a slower speaking rate than familiar information, but many will not. You can also ask questions that seek clarification and not just elaboration. Asking probing questions is another way to directly indicate listening and to keep a conversation going, since they encourage and invite a person to speak more. Being able to summarize what someone said to ensure that the topic has been satisfactorily covered and understood or being able to segue in such a way that validates what the previous speaker said helps regulate conversational flow. Norms of politeness usually call on us to reference a past statement or connect to the speaker’s current thought before starting a conversational turn. While a lack of eye contact can sometimes indicate inattentiveness, before assuming this is the case, it’s important to consider whether it stems from cultural differences, is a sign of thinking about or processing new information, or happens for other reasons.Ī more direct way to indicate active listening is to reference previous statements made by the speaker. Effective listeners must also work to maintain focus as much as possible and refocus when attention shifts or fades (Wolvin & Coakley, 1993).Įye contact is typically thought of as a key sign of active listening, and speakers usually interpret a listener’s eye contact as a signal of attentiveness. When possible, avoid important listening activities during times of distracting psychological or physiological noise. Physical and environmental noises can often be managed by moving locations or by manipulating the lighting, temperature, or furniture. ![]() Active listeners make strategic choices and take action in order to set up ideal listening conditions. Is that right?” Or you might ask a standalone question like “What did your colleague do that made you think they were ‘playing favourites?’” Make sure to paraphrase and/or ask questions once a person’s turn is over because interrupting can also be interpreted as a sign of not listening.īeing an active listener starts before you actually start receiving a message. For example, you might pose the following paraphrase and question pair: “It seems like you believe you were treated unfairly. It is often a good idea to pair a paraphrase with a question to keep a conversation flowing. For example, you might say the following to start off a paraphrased response: “What I heard you say was…” or “It seems like you’re saying…” You can also ask clarifying questions to get more information. When you paraphrase information, you rephrase the message into your own words. Paraphrasing is a responding behavior that can also show that you understand what was communicated. If another person is looking away, fidgeting, texting, or turned away, we will likely interpret those responses negatively. People also send cues intentionally and unintentionally that indicate they aren’t listening. ![]() ![]() Back-channel cues are generally a form of positive feedback that indicates others are actively listening. Responding entails sending verbal and nonverbal messages that indicate attentiveness and understanding or a lack thereof. We send verbal and nonverbal feedback while another person is talking and after they are done. Back-channel cues are the verbal and nonverbal signals we send while someone is talking and can consist of verbal cues like “uh-huh,” “oh,” and “right,” and/or nonverbal cues like direct eye contact, head nods, and leaning forward.
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