Did you know that there are multiple ways to listen? You can listen with your:
Listen with your ears
What is the other person trying to say? Do you understand the message? What is the tone that is conveyed?
Listen with your eyes
What is the person doing with his or her body language while speaking? Is it in line with what’s being said, or is it the opposite? Seeing is believing since we communicate more with our body than with our voice.
Listen to your instincts
Does the message come off as unimportant? Do you sense inconsistencies? If you feel that something’s off, it could be your subconscious telling you that there’s more than what meets the eye. Try to probe and dig deeper before coming to a conclusion.
Listen to your heart
Be empathetic. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How does he or she feel? What is the emotion? Maintain an open mind. If you can understand the other person without jumping to conclusions, then you may unlock new opportunities.