Active listening - Talent Power Partners
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
2 likes•854 views
http://www.talentpowerpartners.com/blog
Recommended
More Related Content
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (14)
Featured
Featured (20)
Active listening - Talent Power Partners
- 1. Active Listening Talent Power Partners
- 2. Active Listening Listening is the most powerful form of acknowledgement, it is a way of saying “You are important”.
- 3. Traits of a Good Listener? Being non-evaluative Paraphrasing Reflecting implications Inviting further contributions Respond non-verbally
- 4. Listening vs. Hearing Listening is not the same as hearing, it is hearing with a purpose. Hearing: ● Physical process ● Natural ● Passive ● Involuntary ● Effortless Listening: ● Physical & Mental process ● Active ● Learned Process ● Skill Listening is hard You must choose to participate in the process of listening.
- 5. Barriers To Listening Uninteresting Topics Speaker’s Delivery External Distractions Mentally Preparing Response Listening for Facts Person Bias or Concerns Faking Attention Language or Cultural Difference
- 6. Becoming a Better Listener
- 8. 1.Pay Attention Listening builds stronger relationships, it creates a desire to cooperate among people, because they feel accepted and acknowledged.
- 9. 2. Show That You are Listening Nonverbal: Smile Eye-contact Posture Mirroring Verbal: ● Positive reinforcement ● Remembering ● Questioning ● Reflection ● Clarification ● Summarization
- 10. 3. Provide Effective Feedback Be open and honest in your response Assert your opinions respectfully Treat the other person like you would want to be treated Be assertive, but not aggressive
- 11. 4. Defer Judgement Listening creates acceptance and openness.
- 13. “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”
- 14. Role Play Scenarios www.sccecc.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%20Listening.doc We will select 4 role play scenarios from the list.
- 16. Activity I Listen and Act The rules of the game are quite simple. One person reads a series of instructions to complete a task. As the directions are read out, the participants follow them and try to act according to them. For example, team members can be given step by step instructions to draw a sketch or perform magic tricks, etc.
- 17. Activity II Simultaneous Talking : Have the group break off into smaller groups of 3. Place 1 of the 3 in the center and the remaining 2 will be to either side. Give one person on the outside a mundane topic and the other a different mundane topic like helicopters or how to clean your room. Instruct the people on the outside to talk NONSTOP about their given topic to the person in the middle. The person in the middle is to try to maintain both conversations as best they can. Make sure that, when the person in the middle is addressing one conversation, he/she turns toward that person. Continue for a minute or 2 and place a new member of the 3 in the middle.
Editor's Notes
- Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. We listen to obtain information. We listen to understand. We listen for enjoyment. We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we'd be good at it. Yet. most of us are not, research suggests that we remember between 25% and 50% of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What's more, you'll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All are necessary for workplace success!
- Hearing is the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If a person is not hearing-impaired, hearing naturally happens. Hearing involves no deciphering or interpretation. It is a prerequisite to listening. Listening is something that you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening leads to learning 'Active listening' means, as its name suggests, actively listening. That is fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker. It iinvolves listening with all senses. As well as giving full attention to the speaker, it is important that the ‘active listener’ is also ‘seen’ to be listening - otherwise the speaker may conclude that what they are talking about is uninteresting to the listener. Good listeners are perceived as being more intelligent, they save time and energy, and have an increased chances for success and advancement.
- Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice. However, active listening can be difficult to master and will take time and patience to develop. The way to improve your listening skills is to practice. This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but trying to understand the complete message being sent. To do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you'll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. Tip: If you're finding it particularly 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. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you've ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it's even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it's something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple "uh huh." You aren't necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and "uh huhing" says you're interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well.
- 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly. Look directly at the speaker. Put aside distracting thoughts. Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal and be open minded. Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. "Listen" to the speaker's body language. Focus on what the speaker is saying.
- 2. Show That You're Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. Nod occasionally. Smile and use other facial expressions. Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. Smile Small smiles can be used to show that the listener is paying attention to what is being said or as a way of agreeing or being happy about the messages being received. Combined with nods of the head, smiles can be powerful in affirming that messages are being listened to and understood. Eye Contact It is normal and usually encouraging for the listener to look at the speaker. Eye contact can however be intimidating, especially for more shy speakers – gauge how much eye contact is appropriate for any given situation. Combine eye contact with smiles and other non-verbal messages to encourage the speaker. Posture Posture can tell a lot about the sender and receiver in interpersonal interactions. The attentive listener tends to lean slightly forward or sideways whilst sitting. Other signs of active listening may include a slight slant of the head or resting the head on one hand. Mirroring Automatic reflection/mirroring of any facial expressions used by the speaker can be a sign of attentive listening. These reflective expressions can help to show sympathy and empathy in more emotional situations. Attempting to consciously mimic facial expressions (i.e. not automatic reflection of expressions) can be a sign of inattention. Distraction The active listener will not be distracted and therefore will refrain from fidgeting, looking at a clock or watch, doodling, playing with their hair or picking their fingernails. Remembering The human mind is notoriously bad at remembering details, especially for any length of time. However, remembering a few key points, or even the name of the speaker, can help to reinforce that the messages sent have been received and understood – i.e. listening has been successful. Remembering details, ideas and concepts from previous conversations proves that attention was kept and is likely to encourage the speaker to continue. During longer exchanges it may be appropriate to make very brief notes to act as a memory jog when questioning or clarifying later. Questioning The listener can demonstrate that they have been paying attention by asking relevant questions and/or making statements that build or help to clarify what the speaker has said. By asking relevant questions the listener also helps to reinforce that they have an interest in what the speaker has been saying. Reflection Reflecting is closely repeating or paraphrasing what the speaker has said in order to show comprehension. Reflection is a powerful skill that can reinforce the message of the speaker and demonstrate understanding. Clarification Clarifying involves asking questions of the speaker to ensure that the correct message has been received. Clarification usually involves the use of open questions which enables the speaker to expand on certain points as necessary. Summarization Repeating a summary of what has been said back to the speaker is a technique used by the listener to repeat what has been said in their own words. Summarising involves taking the main points of the received message and reiterating them in a logical and clear way, giving the speaker chance to correct if necessary. Active listening not only means focusing fully on the speaker but also actively showing verbal and nonverbal signs of listening. Generally speakers want listeners to demonstrate ‘active listening’ by responding appropriately to what they are saying. Appropriate responses to listening can be both verbal and nonverbal.
- 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back. Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?" Summarize the speaker's comments periodically. Have an open and inviting posture.
- Active listening is being non-judgmental, with the emphasis on listening and not solving the issue or problem. It is being attentive and respectful to the person talking. It involves listening closely, paraphrasing back to the speaker what you hear, clarifying what you think you hear, etc. Active Listening is not planning your response to what the person is saying. It is not day dreaming while they are talking. It is not solving their problems or giving advice.) 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. Don't interrupt with counter arguments.
- 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. Responding delivers feedback to the speakers. Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Responding can be verbal or nonverbal, paraphrasing, or questions.
- KEY POINTS: It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break. Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different! Start using active listening techniques today to become a better communicator, improve your workplace productivity, and develop better relationships.