Whether you are at home or in the office, you must first listen -- both to the words and to the intent -- before you can understand and react. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

Listen carefully to the words.
Beware of both internal distractions (your thoughts and feelings) and external distractions.

Use body language that signals "I’m listening."
Non-verbal cues such as direct eye contact, a head nod and open, balanced posture gives the impression that you are paying attention.

Paraphrase what was said.
Paraphrasing clarifies what you heard and signals verbally that you have listened.

When strong emotion is present, acknowledge the emotion as well as the content.
In many cases, people are looking for an acknowledgement of not just their words, but their feelings.