Active listening 

Active listening and reflective responses are important communication skills required when actively interacting with  the speaker, understanding the speaker message, and providing honest feedback. 

Active listening involve focused attention, while reflective responses involve summarizing the speaker’s message to show clear understanding and foster further communication. 

Active listening is an important communication skill that encourage understanding, trust, and effective problem-solving. Active listening improve communication skills and build stronger connections with others people.

As an Active listener, you need to :

• Pay full attention: The speaker requires your full attention by maintaining eye contact, avoiding interruption, and don’t do anything that can cause distraction. Show genuine interest in what the speaker is saying
• Summarize: After listening attentively to the speaker, reflect back on the message by paraphrasing or summarizing what he said. This shows that you clearly  understood his message and gives him an opportunity to clarify , explain or provide additional information on the subject matter if needed.
• Empathize: Put yourself in the speaker situation , this will allow you to know and understand the speaker’s perspective and emotions,  their by making you to acknowledging his feelings and validating his experiences.
• Judgment: Avoid and suspend judgment ,assumptions or jumping to conclusions. Allow the speaker to express themselves fully without interrupting or criticizing. If there are things that are not clear to you, ask the speaker to explain more. 
• Ask open-ended questions: Use open-ended questions that encourage the speaker to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings. This can help deepen your understanding and show that you are genuinely interested in their perspective
• Patient: As an active listener, you need to allow the speaker to express themselves fully without interrupting or interjecting them. Be patient and give them the time and space they need to communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly. 
• Validate emotions: Acknowledging the speaker’s emotions and validate their feelings has a long way in building the communication process. This helps the speaker feel heard and understood, and build trust in the communication process.
• Open-ended questions: Active listeners are encourage to ask open-ended questions which encourage the speaker to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings. This also helps to  deepen the listener understanding and show that you are genuinely interested in their topic

Lastly active listening and reflective responses are used to create a supportive and empathetic environment for effective communication. Practicing these skills can help build stronger relationships, prevent misunderstandings, and enhance communication in various settings, including personal and professional interactions