Communication is an important key asset in all aspects of our lives and often times when we speak to others, we tend to be misinterpret or misunderstood. So it is in the workplace where we work with people from many different cultures. Others may not have heard what we had said and they may not ask for clarification, which then cause confusion and conflict in workplace.

Communication is also very important in any workplace so that the company can work effieciently and be productive on a daily basis.

Active listening can help you and your work environment to be more productive and attentive to the things that matters. It helps you to understand others, situations and the environment before responding to it.

We can improve our active listening skills by following these simple step:

•  Pay attention – you need to give the speaker your full attention and remove all distraction.  
• Do not interrupt – do not interrupt the speaker as often times they lose their train of thoughts or they feel as if you do not respect them which may cause them to shut down.
•   Seek to understand – ask questions for clarification and omit all misunderstandings.
• Take notes – you do not need to write down word for word of what the speaker is saying, but writing key points will help you to better understand the speaker and can clarify what they are saying.
•  Use body language –  to show the speaker that you are listening, you should make eye contact, use facial expression to match the tone of the conversation and nod occasionally.
• Respond appropriately – use the right tone when responding to the speaker, connect to them and show that you were listening.