When listening, always:

• Listen to understand rather than respond.
• Be an active listener (give feedback)
• Keep an open mind.
• Maintain eye contact and show interest.
• Listen for the central themes.
• Consider the speaker’s nonverbal behaviors and tone of voice.

While listening, you should avoid:

• Being judgmental.
• Interrupting the speaker.
• Formulating a rebuttal.
• Distorting the message based on your own beliefs.
• Falling into traps (such as confirmation bias)