Active Listening Skills Tip #2: Paraphrase What You Heard
Just because we are
listening, doesn’t mean we can assume that we heard the other person correctly.
This is where paraphrasing is important. Paraphrasing is repeating back in our
own words (not verbatim) what the person said. Repeating what they said in our
own words will demonstrate that we heard them, processed what they said, and
are taking some time to make sure we are on the same page before moving forward.
Practice: After the
person has finished talking, you can say something like “If i understood you
correctly, you are asking me x y z. Is that right?…Let me see if I understood
this correctly — are you saying x y z?” Wait for the person to nod or correct
you before answering the question, or making comments about the statement.
