SIX WAY TO BE A BETTER LISTENER - Essay Example

Being a Better Listener The article produced by Blodgett (1997) is quite interesting since I find that there are a few points within it which I apply naturally while there are others which I think I should apply in order to be a better listener. For example, the first point is something which I think I need to apply in life since I often tend to finish a sentence started by someone else by providing my own words which may or may not agree with what the other person is saying. In such instances, there are times when the assumptions and words provided by me are a hit and others where they miss.

In any case, I believe I should follow this point to be a better listener. On the other hand, I believe I follow the second point more exactly as I do not ask excessive questions and stay on the topic being discussed rather than jump from conversation to conversation. Similarly, I believe that I have positive body language while communicating with people with good eye contact and mirrored postures. Since body language is reportedly the major component of communication, I feel that this is one thing which makes me a good communicator and a good listener.

However, there are times when my mind wanders in a conversation which means that the third point mentioned in the article requires some additional work on my part. Often I have difficulties in staying focused on what the other person is saying and indulge in going against the fourth point mentioned in the article as I unknowingly mentally judge people during a conversation. I have to become better at understanding other people’s point of view and to know where they are coming from in a given conversation.

At the same time, I know that people have different perspectives about the same topics and I understand that people may take even the most controversial topics in stride. This understanding allows me to understand people’s feelings about the topic and recognize when a person is upset or angry about something from the way they speak and their body language. Thus I am able to go beyond just the words which are being used and get to the heart of the matter with regard to what the person I am talking to really feels about a given subject.

Similarly, I am good at reassuring people that I have understood what they have said and understood what they mean when they are trying to tell me something. This brings me in line with the sixth point of being a good listener which suggests that a person should convey to the speaker that the message given by him/her has been understood and appreciated. Overall, I feel that I am quite on my way to becoming a good listener but there is still a lot I could do to improve my listening and communication skills which are very useful in a world where dealing with people is essential for success.

Word Count: 530Works CitedBlodgett, P. 1997, ‘Six ways to be a better listener’, Training and Development, vol. 51, no. 7, pp. 11-12.