Effective listening strategies—often called active listening—include giving the speaker your full attention, avoiding interruptions and distractions, asking open-ended questions, restating or paraphrasing what you heard, reflecting feelings, clarifying meaning, and allowing brief silences.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension also recommends validating the speaker’s concerns and reacting to ideas rather than the person. These techniques help the speaker feel understood and make it easier to gather accurate information before offering feedback.
Source: Active Listening to Improve On-Farm Communication — University of Maine Cooperative Extension