Listen up!

Do you actively listen? Most people don't . . . what with cell phones ringing, emails appearing on screen, and all the other distractions that require us to be in three places at once. So, to help us "be present" as we begin our graduate education, we were given some tips during day one of our communications retreat (part of Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management orientation activities)to become better listeners. I found that these points, when consciously practiced, were tremendously helpful during our session . . .

To "actively listen":

• Be present--stay in the here and now.
• Don't plan your response or predict the course of the conversation.
• Don't "fix" the issue being presented--that's not your job.
• Listen as if you were going to have to present the information later.
• Make eye contact.
• Recap your understanding of what the speaker just said (i.e. briefly summarize their main points).

Go on, give it a try next time you have a conversation--you will probably find that you have a much richer experience when you actively listen.