The Association Blog

Active listening takes practice—and it isn’t always easy. The Center for Creative Leadership has some tips for boosting your skills

The Center for Creative Leadership recently published a fabulous article that outlines techniques of active listening. You probably know all too well that active listening takes work—and even the most practiced active listeners can find it challenging.

If you’ve ever noticed that you zone out when the speaker rambles, complains or gossips, or talk significantly more than the other person, you’re not alone. The Center for Creative Leadership suggests these active listening skill-builders:

Go tech-free. 
Set the stage so that you can give someone your full attention. This entails finding a quiet place, silencing your phone and putting away any other technology.

Practice the 80-20 rule.
What would it look like for you to do 80% of the listening and 20% talking during the conversation? As the Center for Creative Leadership points out, that might mean allowing for silence—no matter how uncomfortable it seems, it’s a great time to allow you both to collect your thoughts.

Let them go first.
Discussing a shared issue or problem? Have the speaker present their ideas for solutions and possible courses of action before you present yours. They may have already thought it through.

If it feels like one complaint after the next… 
Know that you can listen without commenting or agreeing with the complaints. If it is a topic that needs to be pursued, ask the person to write out their complaint with a proposed solution, and set up another time to discuss.

Read the full article to learn more, and let us know how else you’re strengthening your active listening skills.