Active Listening

Active listening is a technique that is frequently used in conflict situations to increase the effectiveness of communication. View the following video and short article that teach active listening skills.

Active listening: Hear what people are actually saying. (2016). Mind Tools.

Now try to practice active listening with a friend, a spouse, coworker - or even a stranger on the bus! (You can use a cheat-sheet if you can't remember all the steps.) Tell us about your experience. What were the circumstances of the conversation? Was it easy or hard? What gave you difficulty in putting the technique into practice? What was the other person's reaction? Do you think the experiment was successful?