1. You work for Jason P. Mc Donald, a middle aged, well- educated man who owns two card/gift shops, a security company, three fast-food restaurants, and a flower shop/garden center. Jason is creative and highly motivated. He credits his success, in part, to his ability to listen effectively. He wants his employees to share his view of how important it is to listen and plans to display attractively designed, framed quotes about listening in the work areas of his various businesses. He’s asked you to select two quotes. Now select the two quotes you want to recommend and why. Be sure you consider the diversity of Jason’s businesses as you make your selections.

2.  Try to listen carefully that you might not have to speak. –Quaker saying  History repeats itself because no one listens the first time. –Anonymous  It’s my job to listen and yours to listen, but please, let me know if you finish before I do. –Anonymous  A good listener truly wants to know the speaker. –John Powell  If speaking is silver, then listening is gold. –Turkish proverb  Easy listening exists only on the radio. –David Barkan  Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble. –Frank Tyger

3.  Instead of listening to what is being said to them, many managers are already listening to what they are going to say. –Anonymous  It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen. –Oliver  Opportunities are often missed because we are broadcasting when we should be listening. –Author Unknown  Listening is the single skill that makes the difference between a mediocre and a great company. –Lee Lacoccca  Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. –Winston Chruchill

4. LISTENING SKILLS

5. Closing the mouth and opening the ears facilitates effective communication

6. Why listen?  Seek first to understand, then to be understood. – Stephen Covey  The need to listen to the other person before we can expect them to listen to us.

7. Effective listening implies that the listener understands what the speaker means. The difference between hearing and listening can be stated this way: Hearing is the reception of sound, while listening is the attachment of meaning to the sound. Hearing is passive, but listening is active.

8. LISTENING SKILLS  Listening is an active process.  Listening is purposeful hearing.  The act of hearing attentively.  Attending to or alert for sound.

9. TYPES OF LISTENING  Ignoring  Selective Listening  Attentive Listening  Empathic Listening

10. You come back home late after a hard day’s work and your brother greets you saying, “it was a terrible day for me. My bike had a flat tyre. I forgot my papers at home. The work had to be redone in office. And when I came back, I found that the cook had not turned up. I have been trying to cook something to eat since then, but it’s just not happening. It’s too much to handle.” You reply saying one of the following:  I have had my share of problems too today.  The cook must be fired.  You’ve been really stressed out today.  Can’t you see I am just back?

12. A number of benefits would accrue to you by cultivating this skill Improves your intellectual ability to understand and evaluate the views and opinions expressed by others Enables you to gather proper and accurate information, facilitating proper decision making Assists you to establish rapport with co-workers quickly Helps the speaker give his best

13. Tech Support: I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop. Customer: OK. Tech Support: Did you get a pop-up menu? Customer: No. Tech Support: OK. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu? Customer: No. Tech Support: OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point? Customer: Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'.

14. Barriers in the Listening Process You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.  Aggressive and self centered people  The dislike for a person or topic  Noisy environment  Difficulties in understanding a particular language  The listener occupied with problems/ experiencing any physical difficulty  Lack of previous knowledge  Experiencing information overload  Rapid Thought

15. Listening skills  Active Listening Ask good questions Paraphrase Empathize with speaker

16. Listening skills  Active Listening (Listening with ears, eyes and heart) Ask good questions  Clarify Meanings  Learn about others thoughts, feelings and wants  Encourage elaboration  Encourage discovery  Gather more facts and details  Ask open ended questions

17. Listening Skills  Paraphrasing Restating speaker’s message in one’s own words  Benefits of Paraphrasing Helps listener to make sure they understood the message correctly. Allows speaker an opportunity to correct any misunderstanding immediately. Allows speaker to know that listener have heard and is interested in what he/she has to say.

18. "The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of." — Pascal  Empathize Put ourselves in speaker’s shoes Ignore our own perception of the situation for the moment Accept speaker’s feelings, thoughts, and ideas of the situation as ours. Make eye contact Empathizing does not mean we need to agree with the speaker.

19. Tips to Better Listening  Maintain eye contact with the instructor.  Visualize what is being said  Avoid emotional involvement  Stay active by asking mental questions.  Use the gap between the rate of speech and your rate of thought.

20. Tips to Better Listening (Contd.)  Stop Talking  Eliminate Distractions  Don’t give advice until asked  Show interest in the speaker and the conversation  Prompt the speaker  Attend to non-verbal cues  Give Feedback

21. Thank you for listening to me!