LISTENING SKILLS

Made By: Priti GeraMBA Lecturer

Agenda

• Listening - Meaning, Features, Purpose• Listening Process• Hearing Vs listening• Types of Listening• Significance of Good Listening• Barriers to Effective Listening• Developing Listening Skills

Meaning

• Listening is the accurate perception of what is being communicated. It is the art of separating facts from statements.

• It involves- Hearing, understanding, retaining and recalling.

• It involves making sense of those words and understanding their meaning.

Features of Listening

• Listening is a mental activity.• It improves by consciousness and concentration.• It is a skill as it can be improved by experience.• Non verbal communication also helps in listening• Listening stimulates speaking.• Listening involves paying close attention to the

sounds that come in way of communication.

PURPOSE FOR LISTENING

Listening for enjoyment- easiest of all (music, TV, radio); requires little mental involvement

Listening for information- requires more concentration; expected to retain info.

Critical listening- listening for information as well as analyzing and evaluating it

Precision listening- Precision listening- listening with attention listening with attention to details that give you to details that give you clues to the speaker’s clues to the speaker’s emotion or state of emotion or state of mind – very attentivemind – very attentive

Empathic listening- Empathic listening- highest level; requires highest level; requires concentration, concentration, retention, and judgment retention, and judgment as well as empathyas well as empathy

Listening ProcessListening Process

1. Sensing (hearing) what was said (pick up sound waves through ears)

2. Interpreting what was meant (make decisions…Example: scream- fun, fear, or anger?)

3. Examining the statement (how messagerelates to you)

4. Responding to it appropriately (decide how to

respond- feedback)

Components/Process of Listening

1. Hearing. This is the physical aspect of your body receiving sounds. You may hear these words as part of a conversation "... so I recommend selling ..." and yet have no idea what it is you are meant to sell. Hearing is only the first part of listening.

2. Understanding. This is where your brain processes the words that you hear and derives meaning from them in the context of the entire conversation. – Not only do you develop understanding of what you

are hearing, information is communicated to you at this stage.

– In the above example, you may now be aware that the person is talking about the future profitability of an investment choice and that she thinks that it is in your best interests to sell now.

3. Response. Once you understand what you are hearing, the last part is responding.

• Responding in a conversation shows that you have heard what was said and that you understand the intent of the speaker.

• Responding may involve making a decision to act on the information you have understood and perhaps replying with your opinion or comments.

LISTENING VS HEARING

Hearing- sense that allows you toperceive sound; physical act- onlyrequires reception of sound waves

Listening- mental process thatrequires concentrating on sound, deriving meaning from it, and reacting to it

Listening Vs HearingLISTENING HEARING

Listening, however, is an active process. When listening, we direct attention to the act of hearing.

Hearing is a passive process. We will naturally hear sounds within human hearing range unless there is some hearing impairment.

Listening is a skill. Hearing may be natural.

Listening is a mental process. Hearing is a physiological Process.

Listening has a wider perspective as in involves Hearing

Hearing has narrow perspective.

Types of Listening

• Attentive Listening – involves paying attention to the words that are being spoken rather than understanding the head and heart of the person speaking. Also called as effective listening.

• Pretending listening – pretending through facial expressions that communicated message is listened. It is basically hearing and not listening.

Continued……………..

• Selective Listening – it means not taking messages as it is, but adding or deducting according to one’s own whims and wishes i.e selecting the desired part and ignoring the undesired part. It generally involves strengthening one’s own beliefs and restrains further listening.

• Intuitive listening – listening through intuitive mind by silencing the other internal dialogues going simultaneously.

Continued…………………….• Listening for Mutual creativity – higher form of listening.

– What do you most want?– How can I help you get that?– To listen in total support of other people, to be for their goals

and aspirations in you own body, mind and spirit – Synergistic in nature– Relieves the person from stress and strain, soothes their heart

and help them bring the ide lying in their subconscious leading to mutual creativity.

• Empathic listening – higher form of listening, involves listening not only through ears but also through eyes and heart. It is listening intently and intensively to understand the person fully, deeply both emotionally and intellectually.

Significance of Good Listening

The ability to listen and clearly understand will allow you to:

• Develop relationships to a deeper level.• Understand what is expected of you - at work,

home and with friends.• Be a better team player.• Be an effective problem solver.• Better support people who need your help.

Barriers to Barriers to ListeningListening

Perceptual barriers

• Experiences and Expectations• Selective Perception as per Attitude and Beliefs• Relationship with the speaker• Frame of References Ex. The blech after a meal

that is considered a compliment in Arab countries , is socially unacceptable in America. The cultural differences change the frame of reference in communication.

Speaker related Barrier

• Too Fast speed• Too loud to hear• Very soft voice• No use of Pause in the speech• Too much mannerism• Absence of Mannerism• Unfamiliar medium of expression used

Listener related barrier

• Uninterested Barrier• Know all type attitudes – abstains further talk• Rejecting person• Mental state of listener• Ambiguous purpose• Rejecting a subject• Criticizing physical appearance or delivery• Avoiding difficult listening

Environmental Distractions

• Poor and uncomfortable seat• Chatting with the next person• Extreme hot and cold climatic conditions• Odd time of presentations• Disturbing doors, windows and fans• Noise• Poor ventilation and light

General barriers

• Faking attention• Listening only for facts• Yielding easily to distractions

Developing Listening Skills

• Concentration• Mental alertness• Empathy• Comprehension• Appreciation-relaxed, receptive and

imaginative attitude.• Note taking

Tips for Effective Listening

• Maintain eye contact • Actually listen. • Show your understanding • Don't interrupt the speaker.• Show respect• Be patient• Remove distractions• Avoid arguments and criticism•

• Ask questions• Don’t over talk• Restate what the speaker has said