Have you ever heard the expression “communication is key”? In today’s world, society is all about communication with email, texts, and phone calls. But what happened to old fashioned communication. Writing letters were popular, but the main source of old fashioned communication is speaking with another person or persons face to face, just listening. The act of listening is not complicated, but there is a deciding factor that can make it truly affective.
Eye contact is an act of speaking to one person looking them in the eye acknowledging the conversation. If a friend, colleague, or professor is speaking to you personally then the best way to be engaged in that conversation and to show that you are in fact listening is to make eye contact. Giving an important speech, another example that requires eye contact, would be ineffective if the one giving the speech is consistently looking down at the notes.
Eye contact is, like we said, a key in letting the other person know you are listening. But adding to eye contact is to nod your head to give reassurance that in fact we are paying attention and occasionally answering or repeating something they said back. This lets them know that you are listening and engaged in conversation. Communication can be heard to get sometimes but by keeping eye contact, nodding your head, and repeating some words back will help keep it easy and understanding. Communication has over the years by it mostly being over phone or computer but face to face, eye contact communication is the best so you know and the other person knows you are listening to each other.
