Hey, it's Tracy, and we're going to talk briefly about active listening. And being an active
listener means being a great listener, and how you can be an active listener is first
of all, pay attention. And sometimes, this is where the noise gets in the way. You're
tired, you're hungry, you're bored; it's hard to listen, but you really need to be an active
listener. Force all that out. Listen to what it is the person is saying; evaluate it. And
sometimes it's real important to take notes, if it's appropriate. That way, you can write
down what it is that you think you hear. Sometimes this helps you stay a little more alert as
well. You can write it down, and them you can check back; okay, what I wrote here; what
I understand you said was, and then you've got a reference for later when the conversation
is over. You've done your active listening, you've gone away to do your work, and you've
got a reference note right there. Everybody is clear on what transpired during the sending
and the receiving of the message. Then there's no problems. But the thing about it is is
that listening really and truly is hard work, so if you want to be a good listener you gotta'
work at it, but I have all the faith in the world in you.