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10 Steps to Effective Listening

  1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

  2. Be attentive.

  3. Keep an open mind to what you are hearing.

  4. Try to picture what the speaker is saying.

  5. Don't interrupt or impose your "solutions" on the speaker.

  6. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.

  7. Ask clarifying questions, not challenging questions. Wait until discussion time to raise your point of view.

  8. Try to feel and understand what the speaker is feeling.

  9. Demonstrate you are paying attention to what is being said by providing feedback through nodding your head or saying "Uh huh."

  10. Pay attention to what isn't said—to feelings, facial expressions, gestures, posture and other nonverbal cues.