Guides to effective listening

Hear are some practical suggestions for effective listening which ,if followed , can apprecibley increase the effectiveness of this communicative skill.
1)Realize that listening is hard work. It is characterized by faster heart action, quicker blood circulation, and a small rise in body temperature. Researchers have found that the higher we climb on the organizational ladder, the more difficult listening becomes. In day-to-day conversations, show the communicator you are interested by looking and acting like you are.
2)Prepare to listen. To receive the message clearly, the receiver must have the correct mental attitude. In your daily communications, establish a permissive environment for
each communicator.
3)Recognize your own biases. Learn what your biases are and channel them properly. You can then keep them from interfering with the message.
4)Resist distractions. Good listeners adjust quickly to any kind of abnormal situation;
poor listeners tolerate bad conditions and, in some instances, may create distractions themselves. Take a clue from good listeners.
5)Keep an open mind. A good listener doesn’t feel threatened or insulted, or need to resist messages that contradict his beliefs, attitudes, ideas, or personal values. Try to identify and rationalize the words or phrases most upsetting to your emotions.
6)Find an erea of intrest. Good listeners are interested and attentive. They find ways to make the message relevant to themselves and/or their jobs. Make your listening efficient by asking yourself: "What is he saying that I can use? Does he have any
worthwhile ideas? Is he conveying any workable approaches or solutions? " G. K. Chesterton once said, "There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject; there are only uninteresting people."
7. If we show some empathy, we create a climate that encourages
others to communicate honestly and openly. Therefore, try to see the communicator's point of view.
8)Hold your fire. Be patient. Don't interrupt. Don't become over-stimulated, too excited,
or excited too soon, by what the speaker says. Be sure you understand what the speaker means; that is, withhold your evaluation until your comprehension is complete. Mentally arguing with a communicator is one of the principal reasons so little listening takes place in some discussions. Don't argue. If you win, you lose.
9)listen critically and delay judgment. Good listeners delay making a judgment about the communicator's personality, the principal points of the message, and the response. Ask questions and listen critically to the answers. Then, at the appropriate time, judgment can be passed in an enlightened manner.
10)Judge content , not delivery. We listen with our own experience. We do not understand everything we hear. It is not fair to hold the communicator responsible if we can't decode his message. One way to raise the level of our understanding is to recognize and assume our own responsibility.