Listening Well, Part 2 Body Language

Body Language is a big part of listening, and a good way to make someone trust (or distrust) you. You want your friend to open up to you, and to answer your questions, but if she senses that you are uninterested, it is very unlikely that she will be honest with you. In this picture, assuming there is someone to the child's left, you see that she is leaning in towards the person, demonstrating genuine care and concern. It is also obvious that the eyes of the girl in the picture aren't wandering, but are focused on her friend. This girl is going to have an honest conversation, and both she and her friend will walk away edified-all because she was interested, and it showed. That's how you get the conversational ball rolling.