How well do you listen?

In the context of coaching and effective communication, it is essential to assess your listening skills. As you have already understood, listening carefully and actively is of great importance. It requires you to be present throughout the conversation and to focus on really understanding what the speaker is expressing.

In this regard, let's explore how to assess your listening skills. For the following points I ask you to reflect on your daily interactions and be as honest as possible in your statements.

As you listen to the person you tend to:

• Make assumptions about that person. Whether positive or negative.

• Feel prejudiced towards their personality type or any other aspect. Maybe because they are the opposite of you, or you unconsciously underestimate them, or because you have bad experiences with them, and so on.

• Criticize in your thoughts what they say. Maybe you even criticize them openly.

• Trying to prove that you are right or to impose your point of view. For example, when you are sure that the other person is wrong.

• Letting emotions get the better of you. Whether it's anger, impatience, or maybe you're too vehement, etc.

• Distracting yourself with other thoughts. Your mind wanders to thoughts unrelated to the conversation.

• Not giving 100% of your attention. You keep yourself busy with other activities while listening, such as checking your cell phone.

• Showing apathy in conversations. Either you find the other person boring or you don't feel interested in what they are saying.

• Letting your ego take over. You tend to have thoughts of superiority, or you want to be the center of attention, or you find yourself defensive, or you think no one knows more than you do about the subject, and so on.

These aspects are very common to all people and no one is totally free o