Do you experience conflict in your life? Ever wonder why it happens so often?
Here is the reason....because we have been communicating, literally since we were born, we think we know how. Unfortunately, because communication is extremely complex, most of us are actually not very good at it. Therefore, most conflict begins with poor listening, so the first aspect of effective communication that deserves a careful examination is Active Listening.
Is listening different from hearing?
Actually it is. Hearing is done with our ears. Listening involves our ears, our eyes, our heart and our mind.
Here is how it works:
1. Hearing: pay attention to be sure you heard the message
2. Interpretation: failing to correctly interpret the message can lead to a misunderstanding
3. Evaluation: decide what to do with the message received
4. Respond: provide visual or verbal response that lets speaker know you received the message sent
So if you want less conflict in your life, try more active listening!