1. Warm-up
PLEASE LISTEN!
When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked. When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings. When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem. Listen! All I ask is that you listen. Don’t talk or do—just hear me.
Have you ever felt like this? Explain how it makes you feel when someone won’t listen.

2. Table Talk
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care? Think about a situation when someone didn’t take the time to understand or listen to you. Were you open to what they had to say?

3. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 5
Seek First to Understand,
Then to Be Understood

4. Communication Simulation
Complete Activity

5. Five Poor Listening SkillsW
Five Poor Listening Skills
Spacing Out
Pretend Listening
Selective Listening
Word Listening
Self-centered Listening

6. Genuine Listening W Three ways to be a genuine listener
First, listen with your eyes, heart, and ears
Second, stand in their shoes
Third, practice mirroring

7. W
Practice Mirroring
Mirroring is not
Judging
Giving advice
Mimicking

8. Communicating with parents
Take time to understand your parents- they have pressures and bad days too just like you.
You can better understand them by asking them questions.
How was your day today?
What do you like/dislike about your job?
Is there anything I can do to help around the house?

9. Then Seek to be Understood
The number one fear that I read about was a fear of public speaking.
It takes courage to understand someone, then to speak up and be understood.
You don’t want to be the doormat, so express your opinion in an appropriate manner.
Unexpressed feelings get buried and come alive later in ugly ways.

10. Send “I” Messages Say “I’m concerned that you have a temper problem”
I feel you that you’ve been acting selfishly
Don’t send “You” messages- they are more threatening
You are so self-centered
You have a terrible temper

11. POST-IT!
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ― Stephen R. Covey
Think back before this lesson and rate your listening skills (5 being the highest)
Now that we have discussed habit 5, how will you change your listening skills?