A Mentor is listening actively when they show that they are genuinely interested in the caller’s message. You sincerely want to know what the caller thinks, how they feel and what they want. You actively confirm this by repeating what you hear back to the caller before you react to it.
Common listening mistakes
Listening is a skill. It takes some practice. Without knowing it, we sometimes make mistakes when we listen to other people. Here is a list of the most common mistakes we often make:
* Daydreaming or thinking about something else (such as your plans for dinner)
* Thinking of what you want to say next
* Judging what the caller is saying
* Interrupting or speaking over a caller
* Listening with a specific goal or outcome in mind
These mistakes keep us from hearing what the caller is saying. Without active listening, you cannot show a caller that their message is important to you. They won’t feel respected because you haven’t been listening.
Handling challenging conversations
You may have to deal with difficult or challenging individuals leading to complex conversations. Here are some tips on dealing with common scenarios.
Managing challenging conversations (PDF) >>