Listening Well Analysis

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Our society is in desperate need of christians who are willing to listen well to the stories and struggles of the people in our community. In my personal life I have noticed that I am more willing to correct, and provide a solution than I am willing to listen. Listening well requires submitting ourselves to the other person, our involvement in another person’s story may only be providing an ear to listen. This simple concept is one of the most valuable gifts that we can give to the people that we care for. For me the first step to become a better listener, is remember to keep steady eye contact and to stop what I am doing. I have always relied on my ability to multitask, in a communication setting I am very capable of working and listening. …show more content…
Clarifying questions show that I am engaged and paying attention. A lot times, I know that I am paying attention, but it does not mean that they know that I am paying attention. This little adjustment, makes a significant difference in where the conversation will lead to. The other day, I was talking to a friend from back home who was having a rough week. We began to discuss what was going on. I found the more I ask for clarification the more this person began to open up to me. I found they were willing to share more than how our normal conversations. From this experience I realize that listening well is all about the person you are communicating with and not about me. Before this class, I thought listening well is more about how I was receiving the message. In fact, it is for both parties, the sender needs to know that I am listening and I am aware of their struggles. In addition to asking clarifying question it is necessary to make sure our nonverbals show that we are engaged deeply. If our nonverbals do not align with what is gong on in our mind then it appears that we are not listening well. This is another area where I need to improve. A simple question I have begun to ask myself is, are my nonverbals brushing off what the person is saying or am I beginning to engage with a person and demonstrate my level of care for the