What according to you is listening?

What do you understand by listening?

• Listening is hearing and then comprehending what the speaker says to improve mutual understanding

• Listening is an effort to hear and understand something

Importance of Listening

• Listening forms the most important part of effective communication.

• Listening helps you to understand what speaker is saying

• Listening is important because the response depends on whether you listen to speaker or not

• Listening requires energy and effort and is the most critical part of communication cycle

Some Myths about Listening

• Listening is not my problem• Listening and hearing are the same• Good readers are good listeners• Smarter people are better listeners• Listening improves with age• Listening skills are difficult to learn

Do you think listening and hearing are the same?

• Answer is “No”

HearingHearing is the act of perceiving sound by ears

If you are not hearing impaired, hearing simply happens

Hearing is passive

ListeningListening is understanding what the speaker is saying and responding accordinglyListening requires concentration so that brain processes meaning from words and sentences

Listening is active

Few reasons responsible for poor listening

• Thinking about what we are going to say rather than listening to a speaker

• Talking when we should be listening• Hearing what we expect to hear rather

than what is actually said• Not paying attentions (preoccupation, self

centeredness, etc.)

How can we become effective listener?

• To be an effective listener, three elements are required

– Hearing– Comprehending– Remembering

Rules for Effective Listening

• Stop Talking because you cannot listen if you are talking• Focus on what speaker is saying and comprehend it • Show the person that you are interested in listening • Control and eliminate distractions. Distractions can be of

different kinds –physical and mental• Empathize and try to see the other person’s point of view• Be patient, do not interrupt and hear out person before

responding • Keep your mind open• Establish appropriate eye contact• See listening as opportunity to learn and get information,

broaden your knowledge• Don’t prejudge or assume the message• Ask questions because it encourages the speaker and also

shows that you are listening

Power of Listening

“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much

as we speak”Epictetus

What’s in for me?

• Listening skills will help you

– Understand the instruction of your manager and follow them correctly which will give a positive impression to your manager e.g. if manager gives instruction to two engineers, one listens and perform the task accurately, second did not listen and was not able to perform the task correctly, so manager was impressed by the first engineer and consider him to be responsible

– Understand the issues and needs of your team/sub-ordinates/field staff so that you can provide solutions for it

– To take the feedback and understand it – In your career, in your future interview

Questions!!!