The Art of Asking Questions & Listening

Asking Questions

​Small talk is not my thing.
I ask questions and I listen. There's a name for it, "Active Listening". I am curious and I know I can learn a lot from others. ​
After years of working as a therapist I still communicate as if I am a therapist which means I still ask and listen.  That's not to say that I pry. I explore.
​I am simply interested in what others have to say. I'm interested in the variety of experience people bring to the conversation. What matters to you? What makes you happy? What bothers you? What do you mean by that? How did you do that? In other words...  Who are you? 
​​So often we meet people who simply don't listen. They talk. You know what I mean. In those circumstances I still ask questions. People love questions and sometimes those questions elicit listening from them. Communication!

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What is Active Listening? 

​Active listening means, as its name suggests, actively listening. That is, fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker. Rather than simply waiting for someone to finish what they are saying you very deliberately listen and process what is being said. 
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Questions

You may say, "What questions do I ask?". When you actively listen to someone the questions are evident. Give it a try.