Here's how you can enhance your active listening skills.

Listen, Listen and Listen Do this till the speaker has completed what he/she has to say, and don't just simply listen be an active listener and try your best to understand what they are speaking. Leverage notes to jot down and keep pointers and questions. But don't interrupt in between, wait for them to complete and then ask clarifying questions and make an effort to understand their perspective even though you might not be aligned with it!

Paying attention is about focusing. This is a cognitive process where you can suppress your own thought process and any kind of anxiety or fear with full focus on hearing the words and keeping an eye contact. This should be natural and not appear to be conscious. We can develop this with practice.

Have you ever talk to someone that is clearly just waiting to give a reply? Did you feel heard? Probably not. For effective communication, it is important to really listen, to even read in between the lines of what is being said. You can even ask questions rephrasing what was said in order to not only better understand what was conceived, but also to show you paid attention and you care. Asking open questions such as "How...?" might also lead to more in depth answers to better understand each other.

Paying attention isn't only about listening what the other is presenting. It's about taking notes and staying focused, while, at the same time, preparing your relevant questions or comments in order to bring an added value to the discussion.

Empathy is what transforms listening into connection. To truly hear your team, focus on understanding not just their words but the emotions and experiences behind them. Observe their tone, expressions, and pauses to uncover what they might not be saying aloud. Respond with compassion, using affirming phrases like “I appreciate you sharing this” or “It sounds like this means a lot to you.” When you listen with empathy, you create a safe space for honesty and collaboration, building trust that strengthens every interaction.

This might be the most missed out component for an active listening though it's one of the elements that helps us be a great active listener.

Asking thoughtful questions transforms listening into meaningful dialogue. Open-ended questions like “Can you tell me more about that?” or “What’s your perspective on this?” encourage deeper sharing and show genuine interest. Clarifying questions help you uncover details and demonstrate your commitment to fully understanding their message. This approach not only strengthens your connection with the speaker but also reinforces their value in the conversation.

Its fine to clarify what you've understood of the conversation and also help articulate it in a simplistic manner. Some conversations are very sensitive and its important that the listener understands and interprets what is being said as well as whats left unsaid. Another perspective is to enlisted trusted peers, colleagues, team members and seeking feedback from them on your listening skills.

Reflecting back on what you’ve heard is a powerful way to confirm understanding and build connection. Paraphrase the speaker’s key points in your own words, such as “What I’m hearing is…” to ensure clarity and alignment. Summarize their main ideas to show you’ve truly listened and provide an opportunity for them to refine or expand on their thoughts. By creating this feedback loop, you minimize misunderstandings and foster stronger collaboration and connection in each conversation.

It is easy to hear someone say something and immediately start to think about how you'll respond. I've seen this most often with junior team members. When you do that, it's possible to miss something critical, they follow their initial statement with. Try to focus on what they are saying until they are finished speaking. It is okay to take a moment to collect your thoughts and respond. Silence in the form of some pauses in the dialogue is a good thing. In some situations, it may actually be helpful to walk the other party through how you are thinking about the scenario live.

Listening is far more important than speaking for an effective communication. The calmness of mind and your thought process is the key. To practice this, mindfulness exercises, meditation techniques and continual practice will help. Not just for communication skills but in many walks of life focus and will power hold the key to be effective

Listening is key in most roles, and many people are great at it to a point. This may sound crazy, but when I was at Duke, I participated in a discussion on staying focused and present during longer meetings. One of the takeaways I had from a classmate was to wiggle your toes when you feel your focus drifting. Believe it or not, it works, and I still use this technique today.

Take notes while maintaining eye contact and nodding to show you're engaged. This helps you keep track of key points and jot down ideas for questions or responses without interrupting the speaker. Ensure you communicate that you're taking notes, especially if you're using your phone, so they don't misinterpret it as a distraction.