1. Can You Hear Me NOW? A quick guide to being the BEST LISTENER

2. Listening Types Listening happens on FOUR levels. Pretending is a level where we act like we are listening but truly are ignoring the speaker We say things like “yeah” or “uh-huh” Selective Listening is a level where you only hear certain parts of the conversation Attentive Listening is a level where you are focusing on the words of the speaker. Active Listening is the most desired form of listening.

3. Active listening Active Listening is a level where you are focused on the words of the speaker, and you are fully engaged (body language, eye contact, input). Active listening is the best form of listening. The listener becomes empathetic to the speaker. Active listening engages the body. You lean in to the speaker and have eye contact. You ask questions to encourage the speaker to tell their “story” “Tell me more about……” “Let’s talk about………” “Go ahead, I’m listening……….”

4. More Active Active listeners also use Minimal Encouragers throughout the conversation. These indicate that you are still listening “Mm-hmmm” “Really” “You did, huh” Active Listening also involves reflective responding. During feedback, you paraphrase the what the speaker said to ensure you decoded the message appropriately.

5. What type of Listening??? Watch the clip and identify what type of listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TGao3zXK6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TeOGJP5vGA

6. Barriers to Listening As we saw in the last clip, there were barriers during communication. What were some noticed? Often when we communicate, there are barriers to listening that occur. These include: Our OWN MIND. When people communicate, we put our own meaning and ideas to what is being said. Hidden Agenda Preoccupation Lack of Interest Environment

7. How to avoid barriers? Ideally, we would always be attentive to listen. However, ideal does not always happen. To avoid barriers to communication, consider the following: Pick your environment wisely. Turn off your cell phone Remember your body posture Eye Contact Paraphrase and Reflect Avoid too many “why” questions Do not spend time advising Avoid Interrupting

8. Consider the following: Good Listening characteristics should include the following: Genuineness Acceptance Respectful Empathy What other characteristics are needed?