Improving Your Improving Your Listening SkillsListening Skills

How to be an Active ListenerHow to be an Active Listener

Active ListeningActive Listening

►Good listening skills are important in school the workplace day-to-day living

►Yet most of us receive very little training in effective listening.

►Take the Effective Listening Quiz!Take the Effective Listening Quiz!

Good Listeners:

► Minimize or remove any barriers to communication that may threaten their effectiveness.

► Physically face towards and pay attention to the speaker.

► Listen for and verbally confirm the speaker's intent or purpose.

► Confirm the content or the speaker's request (the who, what, where, when, why and how).

► Clarify the degree of importance of the request to the speaker. What is the reason, need or urgency of the request?

► Recognize the level of emotion demonstrated by the speaker.

► Summarize and share their understanding of what is being requested.

► Indicate the level of response they will be able to provide.

Factors That Hinder Listening

►Many factors hinder our listening. Here are a few examples:

Daydreaming.

Preparing our responses ahead of time.

Thinking about other people, places or things.

7 Ways to Improve Your Listening

►Here are 7 strategies and suggestions to help you improve your listening skills.

1.) Increase your listening span: ►Try to resist the temptation to interrupt.

►Make sure the speaker has had a complete chance to make his or her point before you speak.

► If you don't get the whole message, ask the speaker to repeat what they said.

Ways to Improve Your Listening

►2.) Take time to listen: Don't put obvious limitations on your

listening time - the speaker will feel rushed.

►3.) Listen between the lines: Don't just listen to what is being said.

Try to understand the attitudes, needs and motives behind the words.

Ways to Improve Your Listening

►4.) Give your full attention: Nodding or interjecting occasionally to

clarify a point lets the speaker know you are interested.

If the speaker pauses briefly, don't rush to fill the silence.

Use open-ended questions to encourage elaboration.

Ways to Improve Your Listening

►5.) Restate the message: When you are sure that the speaker has

finished, restate the main points.

This is a good organizing strategy for you.

It also gives the speaker assurance that the message has been received.

Ways to Improve Your Listening

►6.) Listen for ideas as well as facts: A good listener makes an effort to understand

what the facts add up to.

►7.) Don't monopolize: Resist the urge to dominate a situation or to feel

that you know everything about a situation.

Be open to new ideas and allow the speaker to have his or her say.