Listening And Nonverbal Communication O U T L I N E Objectives 8 C H A P T E R Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior Listening And Nonverbal Communication Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co.

Learning Objectives 1. Identify the importance of well-developed listening skills for success in business. 2. List six indicators of poor listening. 3. Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. 4. Describe the four major purposes of nonverbal communication. 5. Identify seven guiding principles of nonverbal communication. 6. Describe the components of nonverbal communication.

UNDERSTANDING LISTENING BEHAVIOR Identify the importance of well-developed listening skills for success in business UNDERSTANDING LISTENING BEHAVIOR Understanding Listening Behavior The Importance of Listening in Business Settings Improving Listening Skills Studies conducted between 1970 and 1990 reveal that listening is:4 most significant for entry-level positions most important for promotion to upper management most observed in successful CEOs and upper managers Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Understanding Listening Behavior Identify the importance of well-developed listening skills for success in business Understanding Listening Behavior most significant for entry-level positions most important for promotion to upper management most observed in successful CEOs and upper managers most critical in distinguishing effective from ineffective subordinates most critical for managerial competency most needed for improvement in communication most important for career competence most important for organizational success Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

What Is Your Listening Self-Concept? Understand your listening self-concept. List six indicators of poor listening. What Is Your Listening Self-Concept? Understanding Listening Behavior How we think about ourselves as listeners becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Barriers to Effective Listening Improving Listening Skills Indicators of Poor Listening Receiving an above normal amount of written communication. Feeling left out of important projects. Missing Important meetings. Reacting to problems rather than preventing problems. Being perceived as slow or inept. Being manipulated easily by others. Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

The Silent Enemy of Effective Listening List six indicators of poor listening. The Silent Enemy of Effective Listening Understanding Listening Behavior Most people would rather speak than listen. One must possess the desire to listen Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS Understanding Listening Behavior Understanding and Committing to the Listening Process Improving Listening Skills You listen at different levels: Signal processing: processing and organizing the words of a message Literal processing: decoding the most basic meaning of a message Reflective processing: listening for deeper meanings Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Strategic Listening Process Figure 8.2 Strategic Listening Process Receiving Skills 1 Understanding and Committing to the Listening Process 2 Listening between the Words 6 Adopting Mental Guidelines for Listening 3 Improving Memory 5 Using Excessive Thinking Time Productively 4 Providing Supportive Feedback

Auditory Input Figure 8.3 Model of Listening SP Signal Processing LP Literal Processing RP Reflective Processing Segments Structures Meaning Simple Implication Critical Analysis Appreciation Auditory Input

Listening Between the Words Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. Listening Between the Words Understanding Listening Behavior You must listen for deeper meanings. Listen for the paralanguage elements of speech. How something is said rather than what is said. Aspects of verbal communication unrelated to the words used. Paralanguage types: Voice set: the personal characteristics of the speaker Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Understanding Listening Behavior Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. Vocal qualities: characteristics of speech such as pitch, tempo, volume, rhythm, and articulation Vocal characteristics: vocal sounds such as laughing, crying, snickering, whimpering, moaning, or yawning. These characteristics can express a state of mind, mood, and even emotional state of individuals Vocal segregates: vocal sounds that can substitute for words, as in “mm-hush,” “huh-uh,” “sshh,” and “uummm.” Vocal fillers: vocalizations in which the speaker inadvertently uses “um,” “ah,” or “uh.” Can result from stress or emotional strain Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Paralanguage and the Implications for Business Settings Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. Paralanguage and the Implications for Business Settings Vocal cues can be . . . inadvertently communicate thoughts and feelings useful in accomplishing business goals used to communicate feelings toward others confused with culture and diversity issues Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Improving Memory Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior Improving memory increases listening comprehension Ineffective listeners may hear, attend to, comprehend and then fail to remember oral communication

Providing Supportive Feedback Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. Providing Supportive Feedback Understanding Listening Behavior Good listeners . . . demonstrate an interest in what the speaker says maintain appropriate eye contact smile and show animation nod occasionally in agreement lean toward the speaker to demonstrate interest use verbal cues such as “I see” and “yes.” phrase interpretations to verify understanding consciously time their verbal and nonverbal feedback to assist the speaker Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Using Excess Thinking Time Productively Improve listening skills by using a seven-step process. Using Excess Thinking Time Productively Understanding Listening Behavior Good listeners use excess thinking time to concentrate on the message Adapting Mental Guidelines for Effective Listening Improving Listening Skills Believe that effective listening is crucial Learn to tolerate and even enjoy silence Relate new information to old information Adjust to problems of poor listeners Organize your listening Ask questions in your mind Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior Describe the four major purposes of nonverbal communication. Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior Understanding Listening Behavior Major Purposes of Nonverbal Communication Improving Listening Skills Nonverbal behavior serves four purposes: to express emotions to convey interpersonal attitudes to present one’s personality to others to accompany verbal communication - to reinforce what was said Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Principles of Nonverbal Communication Identify the seven guiding principles of nonverbal communication. Principles of Nonverbal Communication Understanding Listening Behavior Nonverbal Communication Occurs in a Context: folded arms and laid-back posture Nonverbal Behaviors Are Usually Packaged: a clustering of posture, eye contact, leg movement, facial expression Nonverbal Behavior Always Communicates: even when not speaking Nonverbal Behavior Is Governed by Rules: smiling conveys happiness Nonverbal Behavior is Highly Believable: eyes darting away Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Components of Nonverbal Communication Describe the components of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal Behavior is Metacommunicational: communication about communication Nonverbal Behavior Helps Clarify Verbal Communication: with nonverbal communication the signal is neither as clear nor as precise Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Components of Nonverbal Communication Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior Facial expression: one of the most expressive and reliable channels Allow you to determine the real motivations and intentions of others

Time and Space: culturally determined Describe the components of nonverbal communication. Eye and Visual Behavior: the movement and focus of the eyes reveal a great deal of information Cultural differences Persuasion Avoidance of Communication Gesture and Body Movement: problems occur whenever a person’s gestures conflict with the verbal message Posture Time and Space: culturally determined personal space, environmental space Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

Dress: general appearance signals others Describe the components of nonverbal communication. Dress: general appearance signals others Physical characteristics: body type, height, weight, hair, and skin color or tone Studies have shown that people readily attribute greater intelligence, wit, charm and sociability to those people whom they judge to be very attractive Additional sense related issues: Artifacts: human made objects Haptic: all human touch Olfactics: sense of smell Gustics: ability to taste Acoustics: sound Silence: the absence of sound to communicate Understanding Listening Behavior Improving Listening Skills Understanding and Improving Nonverbal Behavior

The End Copyright © 2000 South-Western College Publishing Co.