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Objectives:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Define the process of listening. Explain barriers to effective listening. Explain methods for improving listening skills. Complete a listening skills survey. Participate is a listening activity.
Key Terms:
Listening
The principle of listening, someone has said, is to develop a big ear rather than a big mouth. -- Howard G. Hendricks
Before we get into the techniques of effective listening, lets define what we mean by the word listening. Listening - the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. Without a doubt, listening is an activity that most of us are not really taught how to do effectively. We tend to be overly concerned with the outgoing sounds, rather than the incoming signals -- for thats what they are. Listening is as important, maybe even more important, than speaking. Without proper listening skills it is difficult to communicate effectively with others. Weve all met the person who talks a mile a minute and doesnt really want to hear what others have to say. Is this person actually communicating? The answer is NO. If you do all of the talking and never listen, you will never really communicate very well with others. In this unit we will investigate effective listening skills, barriers to effective listening, and methods of improving our own listening skills.
To get the most from a speakers presentation you must listen carefully and avoid making hasty judgements. (You might even learn something!)
5. Show the speaker that you want to listen This applies primarily to one-on-one or small group discussions. Look and act interested in the speakers comments. Listen to understand. Reserve your arguments until its your turn to speak.With this approach, most speakers will actually communicate directly with you as they present their message. This will make the listening experience much more meaningful to you. 6. Control your emotions and your temper Uncontrolled emotions and/or temper can cause misunderstanding when you are trying to listen. If you allow your feelings to interfere with your rationality your listening skills will nosedive and your comprehension will be reduced. Also, it is unlikely that you will retain the attention of the speaker (see item 5, above). 7. Eliminate distractions Avoid fidgeting with pens, notebooks, or other stuff. If its your responsibility to handle audience control, close the door to reduce outside noises. Make sure everyone in the audience is seated, quiet, and paying attention. It is difficult to concentrate on a presentation when there are distractions from others in the room. Typically, etiquette dictates that people should not enter or leave the room after the speaker has started speaking. This practice may vary depending on the locale and situation. 8. Look for areas of agreement Listening for areas of agreement will make the speakers message more meaningful for you and will also make the speaker more comfortable; people can tell if you agree or disagree with what is being said. 9. Avoid jumping to conclusions and making hasty evaluations If you are using your mind and attention-span to formulate conclusions before the speaker is finished you may not hear the complete message. You may end up making incorrect conclusions and leave with the wrong message. This is a trap that catches many listeners. Its the same as leaving the theater before the movie ends, or the baseball game before the last inning ends -just to beat the parking lot jam. You may miss the best part of the whole show. You cannot evaluate someones message without hearing it completely. 10. Listen for the main points Speakers may present many details in a message. Try to concentrate on the main points being made. This will help you develop a clear understanding of what the real message is. 11. Take notes Taking notes may not always be possible, but when it is note taking can help you to concentrate on the main points. Dont try to record every word, just get the main ideas. 4
10. Draw conclusions based on the speakers mannerisms 11. Draw conclusions based on the speakers speaking style 12. Fidget with things 13. Become overly emotional 14. Fall asleep 15. Lose your temper 16. Automatically look for areas of disagreement
18. Concentrate on details while missing the main point 19. Ignore the speaker 20. Make jokes about the speaker
Score: _______ Rating: 48-60 35-47 20-34 Good Listening Skills Average Listening Skills Poor Listening Skills