Hi!

I'm Nicole, the Customer Success of Ensaio and I came to talk to you about Active Listening.

Well, I don't know if anyone on the other side likes talking about signs, but I love this topic, I'm a Gemini and I know that the hallmark of this sign is communication: every Gemini LOVES talking!

However, I would say that not only Geminis, but people love to talk about themselves, about their achievements, their experiences. We feel good when someone else takes an interest in our conversation.

But do you know what is more important than talking?

It's knowing how to listen.

And it's very difficult for you to really listen to what the other person has to say. We have countless stimuli around us (social media, cell phone messages, the internet pumping with information) and maintaining concentration has not been easy.

However, it is very important to practice Active Listening daily, as it is through dialogues that we can learn something new, generate connections, create new businesses, partnerships and manage to sell a product or service.

So come on.

What, then, is Active Listening?

Active Listening is a very important methodology for the relationship between people. It is based on understanding and caring when listening to others. It consists not only in listening, but also in carefully understanding and interpreting the information received - whether verbal or non-verbal.

Active Listening is not just about listening, nodding and agreeing with what the person is talking about. But it's understanding, putting yourself in the other's shoes, absorbing what the person is communicating until your time to interact.  

There is a very important point here: in the moment of listening, try to actually turn off your mind, disconnect yourself from what is going on around you.

In companies, there are numerous situations in which Active Listening can be implemented:

- In a meeting;

- When listening to feedback;

- When dialoguing with your co-worker;

- When contacting your customer.

When we work with Innovation, we need to carry out Active Listening at various times: be it at the time of the Empathy Interview, when we are going to interview our users and understand what their pains and needs are; or when we are prototyping an idea and we need to validate it with the user.

By now, I believe you already know what Active Listening is and its importance.

Now: how to train our mind for this practice?

I would say step number 1 is self-knowledge. It is necessary that you know yourself, know your limitations, so that you can be honest with the person you are talking to.

Another good practice (which I have been doing and it has helped me a lot!) is meditation.

Meditation helps to educate our mind, to focus, to be mindful. And having full attention is what we need at the time of Active Listening, right?

There are numerous apps, YouTube channels that help us in this meditation practice, and I hope you can practice too!

Then that's it. It was a pleasure to bring this topic to you and I hope that from now on you will always remember to practice Active Listening and truly connect with those who are dialoguing.

Until later!