Listening: The Neglected Skill

Overview

• Listening: The Neglected Skill– Listening vs Hearing– Definition– A five step listening process– What we know about it– Why is listening so difficult– Steps to better listening– How to help someone listen to you

• Hearing – Physical act of receiving sound– Passive process– No effort

• Listening – Selective process– Active process– Takes work

Listening: The Neglected SkillHearing vs Listening

A selective process of:

receiving,

attending to,

understanding,

Evaluating, and

responding to auditory messages

Listening: The Neglected Skill Definition: Listening

Source: Steil, Barker & Watson

Listening: The Neglected Skill Five Step Listening Process

• Receiving – starts with a sound

• Attending to – paying attention to the sound

• Understanding – assigning meaning

• Evaluating – agreeing or disagreeing

• Responding – action (verbal or non-verbal)

“I get it!”

• Listening -- the most used communication skill Research shows:

• Most people spend 70% of their waking time in some form of communication activity

•Of this 70% of communication time:-- 10% is spent on writing-- 15% on reading

  -- 30% on talking  -- 45% on listening

Listening: The Neglected Skill What We Know About It

Listening: The Neglected Skill What we know about it, cont.

• Listening - least developed of all communication skills.

• Failure to listen is costly.

• Listening - one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

• Listening classes/workshops improve listening skills.

• Communication process depends on listening.

Listening: The Neglected Skill Listening Habits Survey

Scoring: (20-100)

Almost always = 2Usually = 4Sometimes = 6Seldom = 8Almost never = 10Listening Habits Survey by Steil, Barker and Watson

80 or above is exceptional70 is around average or normalBelow 60 need improvement

• Uninteresting topics

• Speaker’s delivery, appearance, or voice

• Over stimulation by the

message

• Listening for facts

• Outlining everything

Listening: The Neglected Skill Listening-Why So Difficult?

• Faking attention• Internal and external distractions• Avoiding difficult material• Emotional words• Wasting the speed differential

Listening: The Neglected Skill Listening-Why So Difficult? Cont.

• Be conscious of your listening behavior

• Motivate yourself to listen

• Prepare to listen

• Control your reactions

• Work at listening

• Listen for ideas

• Concentrate on the message

Listening: The Neglected Skill Steps to Better Listening

• Be a good listener yourself

• Be interesting to talk to

• Use good eye contact

• Tell the truth

• Use the listener’s name regularly

How to Help Others Listen to You

Listening: The Neglected Skill Listening Suggestions

Summary

• Listening: The Neglected Skill– Listening vs Hearing– Definition– A five step listening process– What we know about it– Why is listening so difficult– Steps to better listening– How to help someone listen to you