Active listening is really the application of the Golden Rule and perhaps the most critical skill for resolving conflict. To know how to listen to someone else, think about how you would want to be listened to. While the ideas are largely intuitive, it might take some practice to develop (or re-develop) the skills.

How to do it

Let your body language show you are listening through your:

• Facial expressions
• Gestures
• Eye Contact
• Posture

Keep the focus on the other person.

• Do not interrupt, offer advice or give suggestions.
• Do not bring up similar feelings or problems from your own experience.
• Don’t take sides.
• Paraphrase the person’s most important thoughts and feelings.
• Make sure people understand it is okay to have these feelings.
• Put yourself in the other person’s place to understand what the person is saying and how they feel.

Source: Excerpted from The Mediation Network of North Carolina

CRE Calendar Usage: 3rd Edition