Developing good listening skills

Are you a good listener?
Developing listening skills
The following statistic will help you to understand and agree that the listening is very important;
9 percent of the day is spent writing
10 percent of the day is spent reading
30 percent of the day is spent speaking
45 percent of the day is spent listening.

To become a better listener, look at the speaker, the following will help you;
This simply means giving the other person your undivided attention:

Don't interrupt: it is just rude to step on people's ideas as it is to step on their toes.

Focus on understanding: as you listen to others to increase your understanding;
Listen with a head-heart connection.
Listen with the intent of understanding.
Listen for the message and message behind the message.
Listen for both the content and feeling.
Listen with your eyes and your hearing will be improved.
Listen for others interest not just their position.
Listen for what they are saying not saying.
Listen with empathy and acceptance.
Listen for the area they are afraid and hurt.
Listen as you would like to be listened to.
As you learn to put yourself in the other person's place your ability to understand will increase. And the greater your ability to understand, the better listener you would become.

Determine the need at the moment: The ability to discern the other person's need at the moment is part of becoming an effective listener.

Check your emotions: Most people carry around emotional baggage that you cause them to react to certain people or situations.

Suspend your judgement: have you ever begin listening to another person tell a story and started to respond to it before he or she was finished?

Sum up at major interval: comment on what you hear and individualize your comments. A technique for active listening is to sum up what the other person says at major interval.

Ask questions for clarity: this simply means to gently ask following questions and seeks clarification.

Always make listening your priority: no matter how busy you are, if you show people how much you care and ask questions in a non threatening way, you will be amazed how much they will tell you. Make listening your priority.
Most people are able to hear but fewer are capable of really listening.
Also see "steps for connecting to people"