Listening Skills

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Listening Skills
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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

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Problems with Ineffective Listening

• Poor listeners are perceived as less intelligent.
• In some careers, life and death situations are
  determined by an employees listening skills.
• Ineffective listening costs the company

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Hearing

• Hearing occurs when your ears pick up sound waves
  being transmitted by a speaker.
• Hearing is an INACTIVE, INVOLUNTARY process.

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Listening

• Listening involves recognizing, understanding and
  accurately interpreting messages received.
• Listening is an ACTIVE, VOLUNTARY process which
  requires ENERGY.

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BARRIERS

• Physiological
• Hearing Impairment
• Speaking-Thinking rate
• Environment
• Physical
• Message Overload
• Attitudinal
• Prejudices
• Pre occupation
• Casual attitude
• Egocentrism

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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

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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

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Dismantle The Three Ds

• 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

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Improve Listening Skills
Challenge Calling the subject uninteresting Cr
iticizing the speakers delivery Disagreeing
with the message
Suggestion Shift for practical
information Concentrate on the Message Hear
the person out before judging
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Improve Listening Skills (contd)
Suggestion Listen for main ideas Be flexible
in note taking
Challenge Listening only for facts Trying to
outline a disorganized talk
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Tips For Speaker

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