Dennis Davies answered
Listening isn’t just important to communication – it’s essential.
Communication is a two-way street, and it’s not enough for one person to be conveying information and the other person to be taking it in – it has to work the other way, too.
Why Is Listening Important For The Person Communicating A Message?
If you’re telling somebody something, you need to be sure that they understand what you’re saying.
You need to be constantly alert for any signs that they might have missed something – if they tell you that they don’t understand, you need to listen and take this on board.
If you consider “listening” in a more general sense – as in, being generally receptive to whatever the other person is trying to communicate – you also need to watch the other person closely, to see if their body language is telling you anything.
If they look bored, either take it as a hint to stop talking, or explain in a way that’s more interesting.
Why Is Listening Important For The Person Receiving The Message?
This should be obvious – there’s no point in somebody telling you something if you’re not listening. The more attentive you are, the more you’ll absorb from the conversation. Listening is more than just hearing; you have to think about what’s being said, and consider what it might mean.
The best way to show that you’re listening is by engaging in the conversation – this means asking questions, making eye contact, and commenting or expanding on what has been said.
If you just sit there and nod occasionally, it won’t look like you’re listening at all, and this can seem quite rude to the person speaking.
It is normally good if you are receiving instructions, to repeat them back to the person giving them to make sure everything has been communicated properly. For example: "so to be clear, I turn the dial to 9, make sure the door is shut, and press start?".
Communication is a two-way street, and it’s not enough for one person to be conveying information and the other person to be taking it in – it has to work the other way, too.
Why Is Listening Important For The Person Communicating A Message?
If you’re telling somebody something, you need to be sure that they understand what you’re saying.
You need to be constantly alert for any signs that they might have missed something – if they tell you that they don’t understand, you need to listen and take this on board.
If you consider “listening” in a more general sense – as in, being generally receptive to whatever the other person is trying to communicate – you also need to watch the other person closely, to see if their body language is telling you anything.
If they look bored, either take it as a hint to stop talking, or explain in a way that’s more interesting.
Why Is Listening Important For The Person Receiving The Message?
This should be obvious – there’s no point in somebody telling you something if you’re not listening. The more attentive you are, the more you’ll absorb from the conversation. Listening is more than just hearing; you have to think about what’s being said, and consider what it might mean.
The best way to show that you’re listening is by engaging in the conversation – this means asking questions, making eye contact, and commenting or expanding on what has been said.
If you just sit there and nod occasionally, it won’t look like you’re listening at all, and this can seem quite rude to the person speaking.
It is normally good if you are receiving instructions, to repeat them back to the person giving them to make sure everything has been communicated properly. For example: "so to be clear, I turn the dial to 9, make sure the door is shut, and press start?".
