The importance of active listening

Active listening skills aren’t just for the therapy room. They’re important in our personal and professional lives, from dealing with colleagues to managing relationships with family and friends.

 

Active listening skills take time and effort to learn but there are lots of benefits, from seeing things from another person’s point of view to managing emotions.

 

So, what is active listening and how can you use it in your charity?

 

Verywellmind says: “Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks. It’s seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind them.”

 

The term active listening was first used in the 1950s by psychologists Carl Rogers and Richard Faron. They said: “It requires that we get inside the speaker, that we grasp, from his point of view, just what it is he is communicating to us. More than that, we must convey to the speaker that we are seeing things from his point of view.”

 

 

How to practise active listening

 

Below we list some of the best ways you can become a better listener.

 

 

Be fully present

 

Try to clear your head of thoughts before you sit down with someone so you can properly listen to them. When you’re present, you can concentrate on what’s being said and give the speaker your full attention.

 

 

Make eye contact

 

It’s important to maintain eye contact with the person you’re listening to as it shows you’re interested in what they’re saying.

 

 

Show that you’re listening

 

Non-verbal communication skills are important in active listening. For example, you may smile or nod your head to encourage someone to continue speaking or lean in towards them. Open body language, such as uncrossed arms and legs, is more friendly and will make the speaker feel more comfortable.

 

 

Reflect what the person is saying

 

This will show the speaker you’re listening to them and help you to check that you’ve understood what they’ve said.

 

You may wish to paraphrase what they’ve said, so saying something like: “It sounds like you’re feeling angry…” Or you can summarise what the speaker has said at the end of the conversation. Counselling Tutor says: “To avoid sounding like a parrot, it’s better to use your own words when summarising or paraphrasing.”

 

 

Ask open-ended questions

 

When you ask someone an open-ended question (a question that doesn’t just get a simple “yes” or “no” answer), it encourages the speaker to talk.

 

 

Why active listening is important for charities

 

Active listening is important for so many reasons. Below we look at some of the most pertinent to the charity sector.

 

 

Putting the people you support at ease

 

Whether you work in health or homelessness, the people who use your services are dealing with huge challenges. Active listening skills are important when interviewing beneficiaries and writing up their stories to use in communications and fundraising work. It will be difficult for them to speak about their personal experiences, so it’s important that charity staff show them they’re listening and are there to support them.

 

 

Making donors and supporters feel valued

 

Take the time to listen carefully to those who donate to and support your charity. This will build rapport and show them you appreciate their help.

 

The Annual Giving Network says: “Listening helps you learn more about a prospect’s history with an institution, their personal passions and their philanthropic motivations. When you listen well, you are better able to align donor interests with the right philanthropic opportunities.”

 

The Charities Aid Foundation says that listening to donors about what they need and want is crucial. It will help you to understand how they want to be involved with your cause and how much communication they want from you.

 

 

Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing

 

Showing someone that you’re really listening to them will support their mental health. Mental Health First Aid England, which offers guidance and training to support mental health in the workplace, says that actively listening to someone and showing them empathy is good for their wellbeing.

 

 

Helping colleagues to have good relationships

 

Staff need to work together to achieve their charity’s objectives and active listening will support this process. For someone who manages a team or regularly works with other colleagues, this is particularly important.

 

Active listening can help people to avoid misunderstandings and prevent conflicts, which is important in the workplace. It helps people to understand problems and work with others to develop solutions.