Ask open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no response. Ask the person for their perception of the problem.

Listen to what the person has to say. Defer judgment on what someone is saying and focus on finding out more. Don’t jump in with a solution when someone is starting to express their concerns. Continue to listen until the speaker has finished.

Understand the non-verbal clues. Look at their body language. Is it consistent with what they are saying? The words we use can either be confirmed or denied by our non-verbal cues like body language, fidgeting, and eye contact.

Empathize, don’t just sympathize. You do not need to agree, but you should try to understand why the person feels the way they do. Do you really understand the other person’s perspective?

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Session 7: Understanding Emotions