The Art Of Listening

Take out a sheet of paper and write a paragraph about what

you think the difference is between hearing and listening.

Hearing And Listening

Hearing is being able to detect sounds.

Examples… Listening means getting

meaning from the sounds that are heard

Examples… Good listening can be

one of the most difficult of all communication skills to master

Good Listening Skills

Good listeners are attentive and receptive. Good listeners actively seek out information,

evaluate what they hear, and respond to it. Better listening = … Better interpersonal skills More knowledge Better school and work performance More dates, and invites to social functions

The Listening Process

The listening process is four steps Receiving Interpreting Evaluating And responding

Interpreting

After receiving your message you use your own experience to interpret what you have heard.

Why do are own experiences make a difference in the way we interpret a message?

What about reading an email or text?

Interpret Effectively

An effective listener tries to interpret the speaker’s message to truly understand what the speaker intended to say.

How do we do this?

Receiving

Receiving involves hearing and seeing You hear the message, “Hey dude, did

you see that killer play on ESPN.” Your eyes read the nonverbal signals to

get the full message. You look for facial expressions, gestures,

and eye movements.

Example

Your friend says, “Did you know about the party at Keith’s house?”

Just think of the many ways this message could be interpreted

Nonverbal clues can be a good hint for the true meaning behind a message

Evaluating

After receiving and interpreting a message the next step is to evaluate

You have to connect that message to your ideas or feelings about the subject of the message.

You have to decide if you agree or disagree, or if you need more information.

Back To Keith’s Party

As you hear about the party you may be thinking…

So what What do I think How do I feel What do I need to know

Responding

Almost all messages require some type of response.

Think about voice mail, email, phone calls, class participation, talking to friends, etc.

No response can make the speaker feel invisible.

No response can be called a disconfirming message

As a listener you are faced with the challenge of sending a response

Respond Now And Get Bonused!

The listeners response is important for effective communication

Without feedback the listener has no way of knowing if the message was received

Listeners have the advantage over the speaker

Thought Speed

Thought speed allows the listener to have an advantage over the speaker

People speak at the rate of 120 to 180 words per minute

People listen at the rate of 400 words per minute

Let’s think of some examples…

Types Of Listening

There are four types of listening Informational Empathetic Critical And Creative listening Each type of listening requires effort and

awareness A competent listener is comfortable using all

types

Informational Listening

Have you ever messed up because you did not listen well.

What about getting directions from someone?

An important purpose for listening is to get information

Informational listening could be listening to directions, explanations, or MTV news

Informational Listening

Informational listening is is the basis for the other types of listening

Unless you understand a message accurately, you cannot analyze another person’s ideas or respond to another person’s feelings

Critical Listening

Critical Listening means examining an informative or a persuasive message and making decisions about your findings.

Think about the trailers at a movie, or a commercial on TV.

Critical listening involves separating fact from opinion and checking out the source of a message.

Critical Listening

A critical listener hears the other person’s ideas first

A critical listener looks for facts, opinions, disagreements, confusion; and then figures out how to respond effectively

Allow your mind to work constantly as you work to listen critically

Who listens to music?

Does anyone remember the lyrics to a song? Bonus if you sing for us! Creative listening means using your active

imagination as you interpret a message When you listen to music you are using your

creative listening skills Improvisation in front of the class is creative

listening from both the audience and the participants

Empathic Listening

Empathic listening involves listening to another’s feelings

Empathic listening is a difficult type of listening Sometimes you may feel uncomfortable and

want to get away from the conversation Eye contact, head nodding, or touch are often

better responses than words