Listen Up!!!! Listening

Passive Listening- a listening role in which the listener does not share in the responsibility, nor involve her or himself in the communication process. Active Listening- a listening role in which the listener participates and shares in the communication process by guiding the speaker toward common interests.

Listening Is More Than Hearing *Listening with Time to Spare- Our minds and mouths work at different rates. *We speak at 120 to 180 words per minute. * Three reasons listening is difficult is because people prefer speaking to listening, many people have short attention spans and impatience sometimes leads them to assume they will know what someone will say next.

Four Ways to Listen 1. Appreciative Listening- listening for enjoyment. 2. Discriminative Listening- listening to single out one sound. 3. Empathic Listening- listening to encourage people to talk freely without fear of embarrassment. 4. Critical Listening- listening to evaluate the message.

Why Listening Matters A good listener is popular everywhere. Listening is a way of saying to the talker, “You are important, I am interested in what you have to say.” Listening is a “thinking skill” because it requires us to be selective with our attention, to classify and categorize information and to sort out important principles and concepts from a stream of facts, jokes and stories.

Roadblocks to Good Listening A Small Price to Pay- “ pay attention” or pay the price!!! Why Is Listening Difficult?- we usually want to speak or we are thinking what we want to say instead of listening, short attention spans (tv, internet, video games) Bad Habits (7 deadly habits) Make for Bad Company 1. Tuning out dull topics 2. Faking attention 3. Yielding to distractions 4. Criticizing delivery or physical appearance 5. Jumping to conclusions 6. Overreacting to emotional words 7. Interrupting

Effective Listening Strategies * Listening to a Speech - The Beginning- this is only the entertaining part not the main idea. - The Middle- usually the body or main ideas, be a critical listener. - The End- main idea is summarized, be aware of emotional appeals. * Use Your Listening “Spare Time” to Advantage - EARS !!! - Explore- think ahead of the speaker. - Analyze- consider carefully what’s being said. - Review- take advantage of your spare listening time to retrace the speakers steps. - Search for Hidden Meanings- be alert to hidden messages. * Listening in a Conversation- use “uh-huhs” and door openers such as, “Go on”, or “Really?”.

Listening in the Workplace * Being Introduced and Introducing Others (Provide Encouragement) * Accepting Criticism- have an open mind, don’t be defensive. * Ask for Explanations - ”Would you say that again?” - ”I don’t understand what you mean.” - “Excuse me, but could you be more specific?” * Paraphrase the Message - “What I hear you saying is…” - “Correct me if I’m wrong, but…” - “In other words, your view is…”

Listening in the Workplace Cont… * Summarize the Message - “What the manager said so far is….” - “Your key ideas, as I understand them, are…” - “Recapping what you have been saying…” * Put it down on paper - Be prepared. Bring a notepad. - Get it down. Recopy notes later. - Don’t try to write everything.

In Review In general, women are better listeners than men. Personal bias blocks your ability to listen. We use appreciative listening when we listen to a song. According to studies, we only remember 25% of what we hear. Listening is “the” skill needed to be successful in top management. Counselors mainly employ empathic listening. Silence in NOT a negative in communication. A good listener should guard against emotional appeal and propaganda. When you feel strongly moved, your strategy should be to stay calm and wait until the speaker is finished. Then review the speakers main ideas and decide how to respond.

In Review Cont… A common problem with listeners is they take notes when they should be listening. An active listener and speaker share the responsibility of successful communication. A critical listener is the most active of all listeners. Good listeners have a responsibility to provide feedback. We listen most carefully to what we feel is important. Good listeners find patterns in a poorly organized speech. The country could save $1 billion with better listening. Good listeners listen with their entire being. They face the speaker, establish eye contact, block out distractions and lean forward.