The effective conversation stems from active listening. It is a major skill that people should work on, specifically considering the current situation where countless individuals are going through an emotional crisis and they can be supported by listening and understanding their psychological state.

“This skill is based upon the individual developing his or her concentration technique to grasp the message of the speaker. However, the development of such sublime skills. There are not many people who can master this technique since it demands the involvement of all the senses and the complete attention, visual and auditory towards the speaker. However, the interest doesn’t need to be supposed to be shown through verbal communication it can be non-verbal as well. The feedback from the listener can make the speaker feel more at ease since it is the most significant component of honest communication.”

Things to avoid during a conversation

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” _ “Stephen R. Covey”

• Interrupting mid-conversation with comments and suggestions whenever there is silence or a point of relevance.
• The listeners should not be judgemental or willing to take sides. This will make the speaker hesitant to share their complete thought pattern and experiences. The listener should be willing to be accepting the speakers with diverse messages.
• Overshadowing the other person’s experience by bringing up your story. This is a major error that most people make during conversations.
• Interrupting and sharing the facts. The “Oh no that’s not how it happened” or “No actually that not what happens” moment can kill your conversation with the other person. The person will become disinterested and probably avoid talking with you.
• Don’t zone out. While talking to the person staying alert can be extremely beneficial but if you have numerous things going on in your mind you won’t be able to engage in the conversation.
• When talking to someone more experienced or well-read don’t lose your focus from the conversation towards their appearance or the number of achievements they have. Always pay attention because they will teach more to you than any person you have ever met. Listen to their words closely and try to grasp their style or the facts they share, who knows; maybe you might get your next start-up idea from their bad experience.

Things to do during an active conversation

Smile

It can be used to show the speaker that the listener is paying enough attention to the message that is being conveyed. Some active listeners nod to have a more concrete impact on their speaker. Some people unravel their emotional turmoil when they sense that their listener is paying attention to their words and this indicates the efficient application of the active listening technique.

Eye Contact

It is a common factor that can encourage good interpersonal relationships. But for some individuals, it can be intimidating for example if an individual is shy or easily provoked constant eye contact cannot establish a good rapport. However, in most cases, it can convince the speaker to share.

Body Language

This can be very significant in telling people who can be a reliable and active listener. For example, active listeners usually don’t cross their arms during a conversation or don’t have a stiff body language.

Mirroring Technique

This technique can also be extremely helpful for people who intend to develop the skill of active listening. Mirroring facial expressions. However, to effectively apply this technique the person needs to be conscious throughout the listening session. This technique can also help harness the skill of empathy which numerous people lack and often confuse it with sympathy.