Give Focussed Attention

• Attending to a person demostrates readiness to listen.
• Eliminate distractions
• Sit squarely or at a 140 degree angle of the speaker.
• Assume an open body posture: relaxed, arms uncrossed, feet on the floor, and head or trunk leaning slightly forward.
• Establish eye contact.
• Avoid annoying personal habits.

Use Reflective Listening

• Show that the listener is hearing the message.
• Label feelings.
• Verbal and nonverbal cues come through the five senses.
• A feeling should be expressed as "I am ___." but never as "I think ___."

Identify Context

• Context is the experience or behavior that produced a feeling.

Respond with Empathy

• Show the speaker you have heard and understand what they said.
• Try not to be judgemental.
• Do not try to solve problems hastily.
• Remain neutral; do not take sides immediately.
• Question for clarity, not curiosity.
• Empathy can be phrased with this formula: "You feel ___ because ___."