Active Listening

Listening is the process of receiving, interpreting, and reacting to a message received from a speaker

Listening

• You listen with your mind, heart, and imagination

• Hearing and Listening are not the same. Hearing is a physical act. Listening is a cognitive act.

• We speak @ 125-130 wpm, but listen and comprehend @ 600 wpm (almost 4 times faster)

Active Listening

• Listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations

• Total concentration

• Summing up and integration

Effective ListeningEffective listening involves

• react to the message

• exhibit either verbal or non-verbal responses

• participate actively in the communication process

Passive ListeningPassive listening is equivalent to hearing. Passive listeners do not

• Cognitive

• Comprehension

• Paraphrasing

• Asking questions

• Exhibit non-verbal responses

• Need not necessarily comprehend/paraphrase

• No questions

• No non-verbal signals

Active versus Passive Listening

Active listening Passive listening

Process of ListeningHearing

/

Sensing

Comprehending

Decoding

Recalling

Responding

• Appreciative: for pleasure, enjoyment

• Empathetic: to provide emotional support

• Comprehensive: to understand the message

• Critical to evaluate for accepting or rejecting

TypesThere are various types of listening:

• generate ideas

• inform

• question and test assumptions as well as evidence

• Inspire

• Improve our communication

PurposesThe purpose of listening is to

Requirements

Empathy

Willingness to take

Responsibility

Intensity

Acceptance

Effective Active

Listening

• Thinking speed

• Prejudices against the speaker

• Premature evaluation

• Speaker’s delivery style

• External distractions

• Inappropriate/difficulty language

BarriersThe following are barriers to effective listening:

• Make eye contact

• Exhibit affirmative nods and appropriate facial expressions

• Avoid distracting actions or gestures

• Ask questions

• Paraphrase (extract main points)

• Avoid interrupting

StrategiesThe following are strategies to effective listening:

• Make smooth transitions between roles of speaker and listener

• Avoid prejudgment

• Watch for signals

• Make notes

Strategies (…contd)

• Obtaining useful information (to make accurate decision)

• Enabling the speaker to get feedback

• Enhancing the effectiveness of communication

• Increasing accuracy

• Understanding others

Benefits/Advantages

Effective listening techniques help in

REPLAY