Active Listening

The best communicators are those who know how to listen. From listening, we ask great questions and provide meaningful answers. Without it, we miss the opportunity to connect, which is often the true purpose and goal of communication. Listening has levels that, when used correctly, can be leveraged by and for everyone in different situations. Below I focus on three levels.

Level 1 is for sharing information: Think of a cocktail party. My kid is doing xyz, what is your kid doing? It’s a back and forth. Ping pong.

Level 2 is for acquiring information. Think of a journalist. This type of listening is designed to just gather information.

Level 3, active listening, is for acquiring wisdom. Think of a psychologist. This type of listening takes into account tone and body language. It goes deeper and requires inquiry. Active listeners are empathetically curious, which is often uncomfortable and takes time, to understand the other person’s perspective at a deeper level.

Often, we live in level 1 and never actually learn about the people we are around. This Thanksgiving, test out each level and see which serves you in different situations. It’s likely you’ll need all three but if you find yourself only in level 1, perhaps challenge yourself to get to level 3. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something new about a family member?