Aggressive Listening

• Combative listening is not an effective way to comprehend the speaker's message.Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Waiting to speak so that you can drive your point home is often referred to as competitive or combative listening. When you listen to formulate rebuttals, catalog flaws, and seek advantages to speak your mind, instead of listening to find understanding, you are missing out on the thoughts, ideas, feelings and intentions of the other person.
  
  

Passive Listening

• Being interested in what another person is saying, listening as if you understand their meaning is called passive or attentive listening. However, just listening passively without checking in on the conversation to verify that you have the message correct often leads to communication error. By simply being there in the conversation without interjecting questions or active statements that uncover the sender's real message, your own ideas begin to form about what the message might mean, instead of what the message is. If you are only listening passively, you are not speaking. Effective communication allows both the sender and the receiver the opportunity to express themselves in an even exchange.
  
  

Active Listening

• People connect when they actively listen.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  When you are genuinely interested in what another person is saying, taking the time to reflect and engage them on their points of view, you are being an active listener.
  
  Active listeners provide feedback that verifies the message. Verification tells the sender that the message has been received and informs the receiver that they have a clear understanding.
  
  

Speaking Clearly

• Effective communication bridges gaps and solves problems.George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  It is important to be concise and clear to the point when you speak. Try not to ramble or distract the listener by verbally steering them away from your message. Adding too many stories or examples to make your point can cause the listener's mind to wander.
  
  Pay attention to questions and cues from the listener throughout the conversation to ascertain if your meaning is clear. Don't be afraid to repeat things or sum up, and always allow the other person to interject, instead of dominating the conversation to make a point.