ACTIVE LISTENING

Conflicts are categorized as dysfunctional communication. Currently, communication responses between people are quite strong. In fact, we can considerably stop conflict by changing communication patterns. What is usually happening in our society is when people talk to each other they don’t pay a full attention to what they are talking about. It is often to see that when people talk to each other, they don’t listen carefully. They are often half-listening, half-thinking about something else and give a response that out of topics that are talking about.

Nowadays, we can see that individual in this world have their own conflict that they are going through. Conflicts are plentiful because individuals are unique, and have

difference values, needs and desires. When a person come to us and need our help to solving their conflict problem, it is important to use our communication skill to help them. Solving someone’s conflict is difficult because if we are not pay a full attention to what they are going to says it will cause worse than before. By improving our communication skill, we can communicate with somebody else without cause any problem. One of the most important skills in effective communication is active listening.

We are agreeing that techniques such as active listening will help to avoid conflict, or at least resolve it more quickly. Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focuses the attention on the speaker is trying to communicate. There are few techniques of active listening. Firstly, the listener need to focus a full attention on the subject the speaker is talking about. After that, the listener has to repeats and explains and responds to their stated explanation. The speaker needs to understand on which the main point of the explanation ad if the listener really understood, then speaker can repeat again.

Secondly, the listener must always give the speaker time to finish their sentence before the listener can take action. It is important for the listener to give the speaker time and space for rest after talking. Patience is important for the listener in this situation. Thirdly, the listener must avoid or eliminate all distraction like phone call, talking to other person when the speaker wants to speak. It will cause our attention to the listening of the speaker disturbed. Moreover, the listener should keep an open minded thinking. The listener should not make a guess about what speaker are trying to say or what they are thinking about.

Active listening has several benefits that we can get. Firstly, when the listener listens actively, that’s meant the listener is honouring the other person. This will builds trust with the speaker. Secondly, it can avoid misunderstandings, as people have to confirm that they do really understand what another person has said and it will also solve the conflict. Thirdly, when the listener listens attentively, the listener can fully understand the other person's point of view. This situation can avoids conflict. Lastly, it is usually when people are in conflict, they often disagree with each other, denying the opponent’s explanation of a situation. However, if they feel that their opponent is really attuned to their concerns and wants to listen, they are likely to explain in detail what they feel and why. If both parties to a conflict do this, the chances of being able to develop a solution to their common problem becomes much greater.