Active Listening Skills

Summary

In this video, Alex Lyon emphasizes the importance of active listening for building relationships and offers practical tips to improve this skill. He explains that active listening involves nonverbal cues like eye contact and open posture, asking insightful questions, and providing informed responses. Lyon also stresses the need to commit and practice this skill, as well as keeping the conversation focused on the speaker. He invites viewers to engage with the content and mentions upcoming videos on comprehensive and empathetic listening.

Takeaways

• 👂 Active listening is essential for connecting with others and building relationships.
• 🔄 Active listening is the opposite of passive listening, where the listener is not mentally engaged.
• 📱 Two prerequisites for active listening are commitment and practice, setting aside distractions and making listening a priority.
• 🤝 Nonverbal communication is a key part of active listening, including putting away devices, making eye contact, and having an open posture.
• 👀 Active listeners also pay attention to the speaker's nonverbal cues to understand their mood and emotions.
• 🤔 Asking good questions is a hallmark of active listening, allowing the speaker to fully express themselves.
• 🗣️ Small verbal affirmations like 'I hear you' or 'Hmm' show that the listener is following the conversation.
• 💬 Responding to what the speaker has said is crucial, reflecting back what was heard or asking follow-up questions.
• 🙅‍♂️ Avoiding the temptation to jump in with one's own story and keeping the focus on the speaker is part of active listening.
• 🗣️ Keeping the conversation focused on the speaker and allowing them to talk without interruption is important for active listening.
• 📚 Alex Lyon offers a one-hour course on effective listening skills for leaders and has additional resources on comprehensive and empathetic listening.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is active listening skills.

Why is good listening important according to Alex Lyon?

Good listening is important because it is the easiest way to connect with other people and build relationships.

How does active listening differ from passive listening?

Active listening involves being mentally engaged and fully attentive to the speaker, while passive listening involves hearing but being tuned out and not fully engaged.

What are the two prerequisites to active listening mentioned in the video?

The two prerequisites to active listening are committing to make listening a priority and practicing the skill regularly.

What are the four qualities of active listening discussed in the video?

The four qualities of active listening are: nonverbal communication, verbal communication, responding to what was said, and keeping the focus on the speaker.

What are some examples of nonverbal communication in active listening?

Examples include putting away devices, making eye contact, having an open body posture, and observing the speaker's nonverbal cues like their mood or emotions.

How does verbal communication play a role in active listening?

Verbal communication in active listening involves asking good questions and making small utterances that show you are following along.

What should you do after asking a question in a conversation?

After asking a question, you should actively listen to the response and then give an informed response or ask a follow-up question.

Why is it important to keep the focus on the speaker during a conversation?

It is important to keep the focus on the speaker to show that you are genuinely interested in what they are saying and to resist the temptation to shift the conversation to yourself.

What does Alex Lyon suggest doing for at least the first half of the conversation?

Alex Lyon suggests dedicating at least the first half of the conversation to pure active listening.

What additional resources does Alex Lyon mention at the end of the video?

Alex Lyon mentions two follow-up videos on comprehensive listening and empathetic listening, and a one-hour course on effective listening skills for leaders.