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LISTENING SKILLS

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LISTENING
 Arguably the most important communication skill.
 Listening is the ability to receive accurately and interpret
messages in the communication process.
 Listening is key to all effective communication.
 Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily
misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender
of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

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LISTENING
 We probably spend more time using our listening skills than
other skills.
 Like other skills, listening takes practice.
 Real listening is an active process.
 Listening requires attention.

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LISTENING
 Listening is so important that many top employers provide
listening skills training for their employees.
 Better customer satisfaction
 Greater productivity with fewer mistakes
 Increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more
creative and innovative work.

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LISTENING
Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives:
 A greater number of friends and social networks
 Improved self-esteem and confidence
 Higher grades at school and in academic work
 Better health and general well-being
 *Speaking raises blood pressure; listening brings it down.

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Listening is not the same as
Hearing
 Hearing refers to the sounds you hear.
 Listening is hearing but with focus.
 Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how
it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other
person uses his or her body.
 Being aware of verbal and non-verbal messages.
 Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which
you perceive and understand these messages.

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We spend a lot of time listening
 Adults: 70% of their time spent in communication
 70% communication breakdown:
 45% listening
 30% speaking
 16% reading
 9% writing
 (Adler et al, 2001)

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We spend a lot of time listening

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EFFECTIVE LISTENING
 Effective listening is the process of analysing sounds,
organising them into recognisable patterns, interpreting the
patterns, and understanding the message by inferring the
meaning.
 Effective listening requires concentration and the use of your
other senses – not just hearing the words spoken.
 Listening is more than just the use of ears.

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Listening comes first
The first communication we learn in our lives is listening.
LISTENING
SPEAKING
READING
WRITING

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Basic communication skills profile

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10 Principles of Listening

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1. Stop talking
 Don’t talk; listen.

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2. Prepare yourself to listen
 Relax.

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3. Put the speaker at ease
 Help the speaker feel free to speak.

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4. Remove distractions
 Focus on what is being said.

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5. Empathise
 Try to understand the other person’s point of view.

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6. Be patient
 A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that
the speaker has finished.

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7. Avoid personal prejudice
 Try to be impartial.

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8. Listen to the tone
 Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying.

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9. Listen for ideas – not just words
 You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and
pieces.

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10. Wait and watch for non-verbal
communication
 Gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements can all be
important.

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Tip:
Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You
should always seek clarification to ensure that your
understanding is correct.

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Types of Listening

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1. Appreciative listening
Listening for enjoyment.
Examples:
 Listening to music
 Listening to comedic jokes
 Listening to radio drama

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2. Discriminative listening
 Developed at an early age.
 This is the basic form of listening and does not involve the
understanding of the meaning of words or phrases but merely
the different sounds that are produced.
 Learning to distinguish differences
 Language, sounds, voices, tones, accents, etc.

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3. Comprehensive learning
 Involves understanding the message or messages that are
being communicated.
 The listener must have appropriate vocabulary and language
skills.
 Comprehensive listening is further complicated by the fact that
two different people listening to the same thing may understand
the message in different ways.
 Influenced by non-verbal communication (tones, body
language, gestures) and experiences and perspectives.

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4. Empathetic listening
 Empathetic listening involves attempting to understand the
feelings and emotions of the speaker – to put yourself on the
speaker’s shoes and share their thoughts.
 Empathy is a way of deeply connecting with another person. It
is a sharing of emotions.

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5. Critical listening
 Evaluating and scrutinising what one has said.
 Involves problem-solving and decision-making.
 Engaging of and analysis of information.
 What is the speaker trying to say? What are the main
arguments being presented? How are they different from my
current views and beliefs and knowledge?

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Active Listening
 Fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just
passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker.
 Listening with all the senses.

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Signs of active listening
Non-verbal signs:
 Smile
 Eye contact
 Posture
 Mirroring
 Distraction

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Signs of active listening
Verbal signs:
 Positive reinforcement (“very good”, “yes, indeed”, etc.)
 Remembering
 Questioning
 Reflection
 Clarification
 Summarisation

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Tip
 If you’re finding it difficult to concentrate on what someone is
saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them –
this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

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Steps in Listening

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1. Hearing
 Perception of sound waves

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2. Attending
 Selective perception

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3. Understanding
 To understand symbols seen and heard
 Analysing the meaning of the stimuli perceived
 Example: Meaning of associated symbols such as applause

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4. Remembering
 Important to the listening process because not only is the
information received and interpreted a message but also is
retained in the person’s memory

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5. Evaluating
 The stage where active listeners participate
 Weighing evidence, differentiates fact from opinion, determines
the presence and absence of bias or prejudice in a message

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6. Responding
 Verbal or non-verbal feedback

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Listening Techniques

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1. Stay present
 Mentally present; not just physically present

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2. Make eye contact
 Eye contact is indicative of interest
 However consider if the speaker is socially anxious or shy; then
do not be aggressive with eye contact.

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3. Ask questions for clarification
 Get clear about what is being said.
 Do not mistake this to be the responding stage, however.
 Ask questions in a non-charged manner.

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4. Acknowledge feelings
 Even if you don’t agree to the feelings of the speaker,
acknowledge it.

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5. Restate or paraphrase
 For better recall and easier to understand and retain the
information

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6. Seek first to understand and then
to be understood
 Before you state your thoughts and ideas make sure you totally
understand and acknowledge the speaker’s thoughts.

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7. Give non-verbal feedback
 Smile, nod, frown, shrug, raise eyebrows, etc.

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8. Be silent

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9. Take in all the information both
verbal and non-verbal
 Focus on the meaning of what is being said and also what is
not being said.

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10. Get permission
 Sometimes people just want to be heard. At other times they
are seeking advice. Give advice only when requested and only
after the person has had a chance to give you the whole story.
If you are not sure, ask if the person is looking for your input.

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References
 Smileyriaz. Listening Skills.
http://www.slideshare.net/smileyriaz/listening-skills-
11545165?next_slideshow=1
 Listening Skills. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-
skills.html
 Types of Listening. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-
types.html
 Active Listening.
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm