Speech Communications

One of the most important skills needed to accomplish one's goals, whether they are business-related or personal, is the ability to communicate with others. Communication allows people to exchange thoughts by one of the several methods. There are auditory means, such as speaking or singing, and physical means, such as sign language, touch, or eye contact. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication Of these key elements, listening skills are some of the most vital.

Being a good active listener, there are times when people speak at 100 to 175 words per minute but they can listen intelligently at up to 300 words per minute. Since only a part of our mind is paying attention, it is easy to go into mind drift - thinking about other things while listening to someone speaking. The cure for this is active listening - which involves listening with a purpose. It may be to gain information, obtain directions, understand others, solve problems, share interest, see how another person feels, show support, etc. Improving your listening skills will require the ability to understand and comprehend what is being discussed or presented. There are times when you'll have to read between the lines when communication is verbal or nonverbal.

A good way to mentally or physically prepare yourself to listen to the speaker, is to block out all distractions from your surroundings, therefore, your attention will not be sidetracked. Listening attentively helps to keep a relationship good and healthy. To be more effective in listening to the speaker, make eye contact. When talking on a personal level, try to listen with compassion, and try to see the issue from the other's point of view. Memorizing key points that reiterate the issue to help you understand. Give them a nod and there to show them you are interested and concerned about their issue/feelings.