Active Listening Listening is the process of receiving

Active Listening

Listening is the process of receiving, interpreting, and reacting to a message received from a speaker

Active Listening • You listen with your mind, heart, and imagination • Hearing and Listening are not the same. Hearing is a physical act. Listening is a cognitive act. • We speak @ 125 -130 wpm, but listen and comprehend @ 600 wpm (almost 4 times faster)

Effective Listening Effective listening involves • Listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations • Total concentration • Summing up and integration

Passive Listening Passive listening is equivalent to hearing. Passive listeners do not • react to the message • exhibit either verbal or non-verbal responses • participate actively in the communication process

Active versus Passive Listening Active listening • Cognitive • Comprehension • Paraphrasing • Asking questions • Exhibit non-verbal responses Passive listening • Need not necessarily comprehend/paraphrase • No questions • No non-verbal signals

Process of Listening Hearing/ Sensing Decoding Comprehending Responding Recalling

Types There are various types of listening: • Appreciative: for pleasure, enjoyment • Empathetic: to provide emotional support • Comprehensive: to understand the message • Critical to evaluate for accepting or rejecting

Purposes The purpose of listening is to • generate ideas • inform • question and test assumptions as well as evidence • Inspire • Improve our communication

Requirements Empathy Acceptance Effective Active Listening Intensity Willingness to take Responsibility

Barriers The following are barriers to effective listening: • Thinking speed • Prejudices against the speaker • Premature evaluation • Speaker’s delivery style • External distractions • Inappropriate/difficulty language

Strategies The following are strategies to effective listening: • Make eye contact • Exhibit affirmative nods and appropriate facial expressions • Avoid distracting actions or gestures • Ask questions • Paraphrase (extract main points) • Avoid interrupting

Strategies (…contd) • Make smooth transitions between roles of speaker and listener • Avoid prejudgment • Watch for signals • Make notes

Benefits/Advantages Effective listening techniques help in • Obtaining useful information (to make accurate decision) • Enabling the speaker to get feedback • Enhancing the effectiveness of communication • Increasing accuracy • Understanding others REPLAY