Source: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/
Listening is the ability to accurately
receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all
effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are
easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message
can easily become frustrated or irritated.
Listening is so important that many top employers give regular
listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising
when you consider that good listening skills can lead to: better
customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased
sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative
work.
Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives,
including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved
self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health
and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood
pressure, listening brings it down.
Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas
listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means
paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language
and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words,
it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability
to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and
understand these messages.
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person
is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever
give each other is our attention.” Rachel Naomi Remen
We spend a lot of our time listening
Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort
of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking,
16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001).
Based on the research of: Adler, R.,
Rosenfeld, L. and Proctor, R. (2001) Interplay: the process of interpersonal
communicating (8th edn), Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt.
10 Principles of Listening
A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said.
Listening
involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal
and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy
with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you
should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they
maybe don't mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and
use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken.
Listening is not the same as hearing
and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears.
1. Stop Talking
“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we
would have two tongues and one ear.” Mark Twain.
Don't talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately.
Don't talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately.
2. Prepare Yourself to Listen
Relax.
Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind
is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need
to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out
of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated.
3. Put the Speaker at Ease
Help
the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns.
Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue.
Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding
what is being said.
4. Remove Distractions
Focus
on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick
your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These
behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that
you are bored or distracted.
5. Empathise
Try to understand the other person’s
point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of
preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise
with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with
then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open
mind to the views and opinions of others.
6. Be Patient
A
pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has
finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time,
sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never
interrupt or finish a sentence for someone.
7. Avoid Personal Prejudice
Try
to be impartial. Don't become irritated and don't let the person’s habits
or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody
has a different way of speaking - some people are for example more nervous or
shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements,
some people like to pace whilst talking - others like to sit still. Focus
on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery.
8. Listen to the Tone
Volume and tone both add to what
someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their
advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and
volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the
emphasis of what is being said.
9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words
You
need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe
one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together
pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper
concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier.
10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication
Gestures, facial expressions, and
eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears
but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being
transmitted via non-verbal communication.
Do
not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek
clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct.
Source: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/