Transcript How to improve effective listening skills?

How to improve effective
listening skills?
To improve the overall success of an
organization, start with perfecting employee
communication. Listening is a major and
often ignored part of the communication
process. How well you listen has a major
impact on your job effectiveness.
What ever the reason listening skills is a part of
good communication skills. We spend 45% of our
communication time on listening. Good
communication skills require a high level of selfawareness. By understanding your personal style
of communicating, you will go a long way towards
creating good and lasting impressions with others.
How well you listen has a major
impact on your job effectiveness
Why do we listen?
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We listen to obtain information
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We listen to understand
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We listen for enjoyment
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We listen to learn
What is a good listening skill
indicates?
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Pay attention
Show that you are listening
Defer judgment
Respond Appropriately
Treat listening as a challenging mental task
Avoid emotional involvement
Providing feedback
Pay attention:
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Look at the speaker directly
Avoid being distracted by environmental
factors
Give the speaker your full attention
Listen to the speaker’s body language
Avoid side conversations when listening in a
group setting
Show that you are listening:
You can use your own body language and
gestures to convey your attention. Like,
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Nod occasionally,
Smile and use other facial expressions.
Encourage the speaker to continue with small
verbal comments like yes and uh hah
Defer judgment
Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker
and limits full understanding of the message.
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Allow the speaker to finish.
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Don’t interrupt with counter arguments
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Avoid interrupting. It's rude and you cannot talk and
listen at the same time.
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.
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Be open and honest in your response.
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Assert your opinions respectfully.
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Treat the other person as he or she would want to be
treated.
Treat listening as a challenging
mental task:
Listening to an academic lecture is not a passive act.
At least it shouldn’t be. You need to concentrate on what is
said so that you can process the information into your
notes.
Avoid emotional involvement:
When you are too emotionally involved in listening,
you tend to hear what you want to hear what is actually
being said. Try to remain objective and open-minded.
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.
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Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is…”
and “Sounds like you are saying…” are great ways to reflect back.
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Ask questions to clarify certain points. “What do you mean when
you say…” “Is this what you mean?”
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Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically
Best ways to improve listening skills
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Listen to something you enjoy (Music, News and
watching movies)
Listen for keywords
Accept the fact that you are not going to understand
everything
Keep cool when you do not understand, even if you
continue to not understand for a long time.
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Do not translate into your native language
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Listen for the gist of the conversation (General idea).
Thank You