One of the most important aspect of communication is active listening that most people don't do. They listen to reply or form an opinion about what the other person intends to say based on their own personal biases. It's extremely important to listen to the other person with focus and make an effort to go beyond words to other non verbal cues - body language, tone etc.

This form of effective listening not only enables you to collaborate on solving true challenges, but also builds trust with the other person making them open to share more information.