Improve Your Communication Skills with Active Listening

Updated August 23, 20241.9k

Active listening skills are crucial to communicating effectively. Here’s what you need to know about active listening skills and how to cultivate them.

Active Listening Skills

Interpersonal skills are important when it comes to finding success in the work world, and if you really want to communicate effectively with your co-workers, active listening is an important skill. This article will explain:

What active listening is and why it facilitates good communication
When active listening skills are useful
How to use active listening skills to your advantage

What Are Active Listening Skills?

Active listening means giving a conversation partner your full attention and consideration while also showing them that you are doing so. When you use active listening skills in a conversation, you will make the speaker feel that you are keeping an open mind to their ideas. This is instrumental in building trust and is integral to conflict resolution. The benefits of active listening are many and varied, but these are the most notable benefits:

Increased emotional intelligence
Effective listening skills
Become better at reading facial expressions
Understand others’ points of view better
Strengthening relationships with co-workers and friends

When Can Active Listening Be Useful in Work?

When you use active listening skills well, you will be able to assess your own biases and become a better listener over time. This is useful in all walks of life, of course, but particularly so in the workplace. Effective communication and listening skills are most useful in:

Team working events
Supervisory roles
Taking constructive criticism
Dealing with conflict or customer complaints
Managing complex projects
When negotiating salary

If you have ever talked with someone you thought was a good listener, then there is a high chance that they were using active listening skills. This is one of the most versatile skills of all. You can use it in any situation where communication is required.

How To Use Active Listening Skills

There is a big difference between knowing when to use active listening skills and knowing how to use them. The main features of active listening are paying attention to what a conversation partner is saying, considering their point of view in a non-judgmental way, and showing them that you are doing so. The idea is to make the speaker feel heard and understood. If you want to ensure they feel this way, you should do the following:

Maintain eye contact with the person who is speaking.
Give non-verbal cues, like nods, in response to major points of the conversation to affirm that you are listening.
Make a point of paraphrasing key points of the conversation that you wish to clarify or return to.
Summarize important parts of the conversation in your own words when expanding on a point.
Ask open-ended questions about points that interest you or require more context.
Use body language and nonverbal communication to show you are focused on the speaker. Keep your arms uncrossed, turn your body towards them, and refrain from fidgeting.
Relate similar experiences that you have had to show that you are an attentive listener.
Present your views once you have fully digested the speaker’s words.

If you use these tips, you will make the person feel like you are invested in their words; this is an important part of good communication. Put these skills to good use in a job interview, along with these additional hints and tips from ResumeNerd.

FAQ: Active Listening Skills

Do managers need active listening more than entry-level workers?

Everyone can benefit from good active listening skills, but people who work in positions where interpersonal communication is crucial will find them more important. If your job requires leading or managing people, strong communication and active listening techniques will be important.

What are the three A’s of active listening?

The three A’s of active listening are attitude, attention, and adjustment. Approach communication with a positive, open attitude, give the person speaking your full attention and ask clarifying questions if you need to adjust the course of the conversation.

How can I prove active listening on a resume?

When you write your resume you can prove active listening skills to an extent by giving examples of times when you have used them. For example, on a journalism resume, you might give an example of a time you have interviewed a person of note. However, you are more likely to be asked about your active listening skills in a job interview (or even just demonstrate them in the interview itself).

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.