Effective listening isn't always easy because it requires interest in the other person and a great deal of concentration and patience. Good communication also means we have or should have problem-solving and supportive skills. Problem-solving skills are what communication is mostly about. When people talk to you about something, you give them feedback regarding what you think, what you would do in their situation, and what you feel. Problem-solving is a great form of communication only when someone asks you for advice.
Supportive skills are more rare and tend to be much more difficult for a person to learn.
Supportive communication is the opposite of problem-solving. You aren't supposed to give advice or say what you think if asked. Even when asked, you need to determine what the person asking for advice is thinking about doing before you rush in to give advice. Supportive communication means allowing the other person to feel good about solving a problem. If you think about most communication, you discover they involve demonstrating our own intelligence and abilities.