Craig T. Owens

“To practice active listening:

• Spend more time listening than you do talking.
• Do not answer questions with questions.
• Avoid finishing other people’s sentences.
• Focus more on the other person than you do on yourself.
• Focus on what people are saying right now, not on what their interests are.
• Reframe what the other person has said to make sure you understand him or her correctly (‘So you’re telling me that this budget needs further consideration, right?’)
• Think about what you’re going to say after someone has finished speaking, not while he or she is speaking.
• Ask plenty of questions.
• Never interrupt.
• Don’t take notes.” —Dr. Travis Bradberry