Listening Skills

Importance of Listening Skills

In daily communication we spend
our time as follows:
• Writing 9 percent
• Reading 16 percent
• Speaking 30 percent
• Listening 45 percent
 Problems with Ineffective Listening

• Poor listeners are perceived as

less intelligent.
• In some careers, life and death
situations are determined by an
employee’s listening skills.
• Ineffective listening costs the
company
 Hearing

• Hearing occurs when your ears

pick up sound waves being
transmitted by a speaker.
• Hearing is an INACTIVE,
INVOLUNTARY process.
 Listening

• Listening involves recognizing,

understanding and accurately
interpreting messages
received.
• Listening is an ACTIVE,
VOLUNTARY process which
requires ENERGY.
 BARRIERS
• Physiological
– Hearing Impairment
– Speaking-Thinking rate
• Environment
– Physical
– Message Overload
• Attitudinal
– Prejudices
– Pre occupation
– Casual attitude
– Egocentrism
 Goal Setting for Interactive Listening

• Identify Objectives
– What must I get out of this message?
– What would I like to get out of this situation?
– What should others get out of my listening to
them?
• Listening Style
– Four types of listening: information,
enjoyment, evaluation, and feelings
• Listening Approach
– Four approaches to listening: Discriminative,
Comprehensive, Critical, Active
 Communication Competence:
Interactive Listening
• Interactive listening is an ongoing, complex,
and dynamic process.
• Guidelines to becoming an interactive
listener:
– Motivation & Preparedness
– Objective
– Talk less
– Ask questions
– Use nonverbal behavior
– Avoid boredom
 Dismantle The Three D’s

• Distraction
– Focus on the speaker
– Take notes to stay on track
• Disorientation
– Simply information to its basic level
– Focus on main points
• Defensiveness
– Understand that its not about “you”
– Ask objective questions to self about content
 Improve Listening Skills
Challenge: Suggestion:

Calling the subject Shift for practical

uninteresting information

Criticizing the Concentrate on the

speaker’s delivery Message

Disagreeing with the Hear the person out

message before judging
Improve Listening Skills (cont’d)
Challenge: Suggestion:

Listening only for Listen for main

facts ideas

Trying to outline a Be flexible in note

disorganized talk taking
 Tips For Speaker

• Empathize
• Adjust with delivery
• Use Feedback
• Clarity
• Be Interesting