Effective communication involves delivering your message clearly and concisely to the receiver and listening actively, not passively. Active listening is the art of hearing the message and understanding and empathizing with what the other person is saying. This week’s Pearl focuses on the Art of Active Listening.

The folks at The Harvard Business Review Guide outline steps to improve your active listening skills in the video The Art of Active Listening | The Harvard Business Review Guide.

Got time for more? Check out this ~20-minute course from Skillsoft: Using Active Listening In Workplace Situations.

Course Description:

Active listening skills are used by professionals in a wide range of occupations and industries to enhance their work. By being receptive and open to others, they're able to elicit and understand other people's thoughts, needs, or emotions, and then steer the conversation in an appropriate manner to a successful conclusion. In this course, you'll learn listening skills that can help in the workplace, and techniques for becoming an effective active listener. You'll also discover techniques for dealing with emotionally-charged situations, and explore how to use listening skills to your benefit during common workplace situations such as sales pitches and negotiations.