Title: Active Listening Skills - Reflective Technique
Headings: Active Listening Skills - Reflective Technique
Active Listening Skills - Reflective Technique
Content: In some instances you may just want to remain quiet in order to give the speaker time to gather their thoughts again. These simple techniques can help bring to light issues that you were previously unaware of. Clarification
A mixture of reflection and direct questioning can get to the bottom of what people mean. These approaches enable you to correct misunderstandings and fill gaps in the narrative, thus gaining a better understanding of the overall situation. The process of reflection provides an opportunity for the speaker to point out inaccuracies in your understanding. However, you need to be aware that they may not take the initiative to do so. Consequently, you should pay close attention to their body language and be on the look out for nonverbal signs that might indicate that you have misinterpreted their meaning. Another thing to be aware of is that you can only clarify information that the speaker has articulated. If you suspect that significant information is being withheld, you cannot reflect it in the usual way, because you don't know what it is. Instead, you have to somehow reflect its absence by asking questions that lead the speaker to bring it into the open.