Unclassified ASHLAND PAUL G BLAZER ARMY JROTC We

Unclassified ASHLAND - PAUL G. BLAZER ARMY JROTC We Can! as of: 12 Oct 16, POC: CSM Mike Maynard Unclassified 1

Unclassified THE POWER OF LISTENING I. III. IV. V. VIII. IX. X. XIII. XIV. XV. Learning Objectives The Art Of Listening Versus Hearing Fast Facts Effective Listening Percentage Of Communication Why Be A Good Listener Barriers To Listening Four Levels Of Listening Bad Listening Habits Characteristics Of Listening Active Listening Steps Improving Listening Skills Ten Keys To Effective Listening Closing Comments & Questions Unclassified 2

Unclassified LEARNING OBJECTIVES Goal To Learn How To Listen Effectively In Class And In Life Develop Students Listening Abilities, Teach Basic Listening Strategies, Address Difficulties Faced In Effective Listening Unclassified 3

Unclassified THE ART OF LISTENING “If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have been given two mouths and one ear. ” - Mark Twain • Listening – The Process Of Receiving, Constructing Meaning From, And Responding To Spoken And/Or Nonverbal Messages; To Hear Something With Thoughtful Attention • Effective Communication Is 2 -way – Depends On Speaking And Listening Unclassified 4

Unclassified LISTENING VS. HEARING • Hearing – Physical Process; Natural; Passive • Listening – Physical & Mental Process; Active; Learned Process; A Skill • Listening Is Hard! • You Must Choose To Participate In The Process Of Listening. Unclassified 5

Unclassified FAST FACTS • We Listen At 125 -250 Wpm, Think At 1000 -3000 Wpm • 75% Of The Time We Are Distracted, Preoccupied Or Forgetful • 20% Of The Time, We Remember What We Hear • More Than 35% Of Businesses Think Listening Is A Top Skill For Success • Less Than 2% Of People Have Had Formal Education With Listening Unclassified 6

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING What Communication Skill Can Be More Basic Than Listening? • We Spend More Time Listening Than Any Other Activity Except Breathing, Yet We Listen At Only A Fraction Of Our Potential. Because We Believe Ourselves To Be Good Listeners We Seldom Make An Effort To Improve. Unclassified 7

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING What Is Effective Listening? • Effective Listening Skills Are The Ability To Actively Understand Information Provided By The Speaker, And Display Interest In The Topic Discussed. It Can Also Include Providing The Speaker With Feedback, By Asking Pertinent Questions So The Speaker Knows The Message Is Received. • Effective Listening Is A Skill Using Multiple Senses To Comprehend The Message Being Sent By The Speaker. Unclassified 8

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING Importance Of Listening • The Importance Of Listening Extends Far Beyond Academic And Professional Settings. Understanding How To Practice Good Communication Even In Your Day To Day Life, Among Friends, Family, And Significant Others, Is Important For A Number Of Reasons: Fostering Good Self-esteem, Maximizing Productivity, Improving Relationships, And Even Becoming A Better Speaker. Unclassified 9

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listening As A Communication Skill • Listening Is One Of The Most Important Communication Skills • We Probably Spend More Time Using Our Listening Skills Than Any Other Kind Of Skill • Like Other Skills, Listening Takes Practice • Real Listening Is An Active Process • Listening Requires Attention Unclassified 10

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING Why Few People Listen Effectively • Listening Sometimes Does Not Come Easy. • Often, The Difficulty Is Not Because People Are Not Willing To Listen But Because They Are Unable To Do So. • Their Mind Does Not Allow Them To See The Total Picture Because They Are Only Able To See The World In One Dimension. • This Inability To Listen Using Both Sides Of The Brain Cause Miscommunication, Misinterpretation, And Miscalculation. Unclassified 11

Unclassified EFFECTIVE LISTENING Why Few People Listen Effectively • The Result Can Be A Listener Who Is Unable To Deal With Not Only The Logic Of A Relationship But With The Emotional Component Either. • Hence, This Asymmetrical Use Of The Brain Often Results In The Inability Of The Listener To Absorb All The Necessary Cues From The Person Speaking. • Effective And Active Listening Requires, Using Both Sides Of The Brain. Unfortunately, Few People Understand This Fact. • Instead, They See This Skill As One Reflecting The Use Of The Right Or Left Side Of The Brain. Unclassified 12

Unclassified PERCENTAGE OF COMMUNICATION Mode of Communication Formal Years of Training Percentage of Time Used Writing 12 years 9% Reading 6 -8 years 16 % Speaking 1 -2 years 30% Listening 0 -few hours 45% Unclassified 13

Unclassified WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Needs Of The Customer… • • • To Be Recognized And Remembered To Feel Valued To Feel Appreciated To Feel Respected To Feel Understood To Feel Comfortable About A Want Or Need Unclassified 14

Unclassified WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Is The Most Powerful Form Of Acknowledgment …A Way Of Saying, “You Are Important” Listening Builds Stronger Relationships …Creates A Desire To Cooperate Among People Because They Feel Accepted And Acknowledged Listening Promotes Being Heard …"Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood. " Stephen Covey Unclassified 15

Unclassified WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Creates Acceptance And Openness …Conveys The Message That “I Am Not Judging You. ” Listening Leads To Learning …Openness Encourages Personal Growth And Learning Listening Reduces Stress And Tension …Minimizes Confusion And Misunderstanding, Eliminating Related Stress And Tension Unclassified 16

Unclassified WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Is CRITICAL In Conflict Resolution …Much Conflict Comes From The Need To Be Heard. Successful Resolution Depends On Being A Non-anxious Presence Unclassified 17

Unclassified BARRIERS TO LISTENING • • • Equate With Hearing Uninteresting Topics Speaker’s Delivery External Distractions Mentally Preparing Response Listening For Facts Personal Concerns Personal Bias Language/Culture Differences Faking Attention Unclassified 18

Unclassified FOUR LEVELS OF LISTENING • The Non-Listener • The Marginal Listener • The Evaluative Listener • The Active Listener Unclassified 19

Unclassified BAD LISTENING HABITS • • Criticizing The Subject Or The Speaker Getting Over-stimulated Listening Only For Facts Not Taking Notes Or Outlining Everything Tolerating Or Creating Distraction Letting Emotional Words Block Message Wasting Time Difference Between Speed Of Speech And Speed Of Thought Unclassified 20

Unclassified CHARACTERISTICS OF LISTENING • • • L = Look Interested I = Involve Yourself By Responding S = Stay On Target T = Test Your Understanding E = Evaluate The Message N = Neutralize Your Feelings Unclassified 21

Unclassified ACTIVE LISTENING (4 STEPS) • Active Listening - Hearing • Clarifying - Questioning • Reflecting - Interpreting • Responding - Agreeing Unclassified 22

Unclassified STEP 1: ACTIVE LISTENING • To Feelings As Well As Words – Emotions -- Implications • Focus on Speaker – Don’t plan, speak, or get distracted • What Is Speaker Talking About? – Topic? Speaker? Listener? Others? • Look At Speaker • Use Verbal & Non-Verbal Encouragers Unclassified 23

Unclassified STEP 1: HEARING • • • Allow The Other Person To Talk Avoid Interruptions Clear One's Mind Of Distractions Encourage The Speaker To Elaborate On What Is Being Said Through Verbal And Nonverbal Cues Focus On The Speaker; Maintain Eye Contact Listen To What Is Said And Not How It Is Said Model The Speaker's Physical Behavior To Encourage Further Talking Observe Nonverbal Behavior As Well As What Is Said Use Open-ended Questions To Encourage The Speaker To Continue Talking Unclassified 24

Unclassified STEP 2: CLARIFYING • Ask Open-end Questions To Probe For Further Detail • Avoid Asking Leading Questions To Get The Desired Comment Or Response • Avoid Coming To Conclusions Before The Speaker Finishes • Be Cognizant Of The Speaker's Choice And Application Of Words • Encourage Feedback Through Questioning • Keep All Of Your Questions Pertinent To The Topic • Look For Synchronicity Between What Was Said And Body Language • Maintain Two-way Communication • Paraphrase What Was Said And Verify For Accuracy • Try To Separate Assumptions From Facts And Data Unclassified 25

Unclassified STEP 2: QUESTIONING • 3 Purposes – Demonstrates you are listening – Gather information – Clarification • Open-ended – Tell me more? – How did you feel? – Then what happened? Unclassified 26

Unclassified STEP 3: REFLECTING • Reflect What Is Said (In your words) • Reflect Feelings • Reframe – Capture the essence of the communication – Remove negative framing – Move toward problem solving Unclassified 27

Unclassified STEP 3: INTERPRETING • Avoid Taking What The Speaker Says At Face Value By Looking At Feelings As Well As Body Language • Communicate Your Interpretation And Verify Its Accuracy • Concentrate On Facts And Data, Not Perceptions • Distinguish Between Assumptions, And Facts And Data • Identify The Main Ideas • Pay Attention To Nonverbal Communications To Determine Sincerity About What Is Said Unclassified 28

Unclassified STEP 4: RESPONDING • Be sincere • Conduct follow-up, if necessary, on any resulting request by the instructor or the speaker • Demonstrate a physiological (e. g. , body language) and psychological response • Exhibit empathy rather than sympathy • Exhibit verbal and nonverbal cues that build bridges rather than walls between the project manager and the speaker • Seek feedback on your response. Unclassified 29

Unclassified STEP 4: AGREEING • Get Speaker’s Consent to Your Reframing • Speaker Has Been Heard and Knows It! • Solution Is Near! Unclassified 30

Unclassified IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS • By Not Being Preoccupied • Being Open Minded & Non Defensive • Minimizing Interruptions • Effective Listening Is: Hearing, Interpreting When Necessary, Understanding The Message And Relating To It • By Asking Questions Unclassified 31

Unclassified TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING • Find Areas Of Interest – The Poor Listener: Tunes Out Dry Topics – The Good Listener: Seizes Opportunities: "What's In It For Me? " • Judge Content, Not Delivery – The Poor Listener: Tunes Out If Delivery Is Poor – The Good Listener: Judges Content, Skips Over Delivery Errors • Hold Your Fire – The Poor Listener: Tends To Enter Into Argument – The Good Listener: Doesn't Judge Until Comprehension Is Complete Unclassified 32

Unclassified TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING • Listen For Ideas – The Poor Listener: Listens For Facts – The Good Listener: Listens For Central Theme • Be A Flexible Note Taker – The Poor Listener: Is Busy With Form, Misses Content – The Good Listener: Adjusts To Topic And Organizational Pattern • Work At Listening – The Poor Listener: Shows No Energy Output, Fakes Attention – The Good Listener: Works Hard; Exhibits Alertness Unclassified 33

Unclassified TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING • Resist Distractions – The Poor Listener: Is Distracted Easily – The Good Listener: Fights Or Avoids Distractions; Tolerates Bad Habits In Others; Knows How To Concentrate • Exercise Your Mind – The Poor Listener: Resists Difficult Material; Seeks Light, Recreational Material – The Good Listener: Uses Heavier Material As Exercise For The Mind • Keep Your Mind Open – The Poor Listener: Reacts To Emotional Words – The Good Listener: Interprets Emotional Words; Does Not Get Hung Up On Them Unclassified 34

Unclassified TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING • Thought Is Faster Than Speech; Use It – The Poor Listener: Tends To Daydream With Slow Speakers – The Good Listener: Challenges, Anticipates, Mentally Summarizes, Weights The Evidence, Listens Between The Lines To Tone And Voice Unclassified 35

Unclassified CLOSING COMMENTS & QUESTIONS… Unclassified 36