Chapter - 03 (Topic - 4) Traits of a Good Listener

Traits of a Good Listener

Listening is an activity that requires practice and concentration. A few guidelines in the following paragraph would help the person in being a good listener:

ü  Positive Attitude (Being non Evaluative)

ü  Paraphrasing

ü  Reflecting Implications (Feedback)

ü  Inviting Further Contribution

ü  Responding Non Verbally

·     Positive Attitude:

While listening to someone, a person should have positive attitude. He can become a good listener by developing a desire to listen. As a good listener, a person should not evaluate the speaker for his ideas and feelings. In other words, listener should never pass any judgment of right or wrong. His behaviour and expression will tell the speaker that whether you accept the person positively or not.

·     Paraphrasing:

A listener should pay an active role in the process of communication. He can do this with the help of paraphrasing where a listener presents his view or opinion about the speaker‘s views and ideas. Use of this technique indicates that as a listener you are really interested in what the speaker is speaking about. A listener can use following phrases for paraphrasing:

“As I gather, you want to tell……”

“So you meant to say that…” 

“Do you mean that….”

·     Reflecting Implications (Feedback):

A good listener always encourages the speaker by using reflecting implications or feedback because these reflecting implications show that a listener is listening eagerly. Listener can show his understanding using nonverbal components like smile, laugh at funny things, nodding. He can also boost up the speaker‘s confidence using some words like good, nice, well; you are on a right path that is really nice etc.

·     Inviting Further Contribution:

When a listener has not understood the point clearly he can ask the speaker for better explanation. Following phrases can be used to demand better explanation.

“Can you throw more light on this topic?”

“After that what happened”

“Will you explain it in detail?”

“I‘ve some confusion in it will you repeat it?”

·     Responding Non Verbally:

A listener can show that he is active in listening by adopting certain postures and using non-verbal components. Listener‘s body language, eye contact, gesture, utterances like yes, hum, yh, etc. shows whether listener is interested in listening or not. In addition, a person should not interrupt the speaker unnecessarily.

Thus, these are main traits of good listener or use of these traits transforms the person from ‘hearer’ to a good listener.