Active ListeningArticle by: Carl R. Rogers

Richard E. FarsonCh. 9 page 241

Presentation by: Rebecca Green

Funny Clips Office Clip:http://

www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=HCxKb0xz7eQ

Active Listening Clip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-a-Yz4xA8

“ Listening, whether done by individuals or by companies and government, is a signal of respect. When people don’t feel listened to, they don’t feel respected. And when they don’t feel respected, they feel anger and resentment. This resentment is exacerbated if people think you’re pretending to listen but aren’t.”

-Hugo Powell

Authors’ BackgroundCarl R. Rogers Ph.D. (1902-1987)-One of the founders of the humanistic psychology movement.-Thought to be one of the most influential psychologists in American history-Has written 16 books and over 200 articles-Won Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association

Authors’ Background

-Psychologist , Author, and President of Western Behavorial Sciences Institute-Received B.S. and M.S. from University of Minnesota, Occidental College; UCLA for psychology graduate study;and a Ph.D. from University of Chicago in 1955-Met Carl Rogers at Occidental College in 1949and became his research assistant then intern and counselor at “The Counseling Center”

What is Active Listening?Active Listening is a responsibility of the

manager that will help the employees gain a clearer understanding of their situations, take responsibility, and cooperate with each other.

Key Factors to Active Listening:1. Understand the speaker’s facts and feelings

by listening2. By understanding the facts and feelings, you

can help the speaker to work out the problem.

In-Class Example2 volunteers selected will read aloud from scripts given to them. Pay attention because we will discuss afterwards.

Textbook: pgs 241-242

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Differences between 2 examplesMain difference: The supervisor in the second example was

being an ACTIVE LISTENER!He was listening to what Kelly had to say, and

he was responding to Kelly’s emotions.He responded so that Kelly knew that what

was being said was being heard and that his supervisor cared about the situation Kelly was in.

Active ListeningDoes this mean that you have to

have a therapy license to be an Active Listener?

NO!!!!!!!However, it is a better way to

effectively handle problems and challenges.

Active ListeningActive listening can help you in places other

than the workforce.Personal Examples from the class?Other examples: When your best friend calls because his/her

girlfriend/boyfriend is breaking up with them.When there has been a deathWhen someone has had a terrible daySolution: LISTEN!!!!! Just be there for them by

LISTENING.

What Active Listening DoesIt brings about changes in people. They become

more emotionally mature, more open to experiences, less defensive, more democratic, and less authoritarian.

WHY? Research shows that sensitive listening is the

most effective agent for individual personality change and group development.

Listening brings about changes in:1. People’s attitude toward themselves and others2. Basic values and personal philosophy

How Individual Personality DevelopsImportant to understand in order to know HOW to

effectively listen.We create “self-pictures” of what we dream of

ourselves being.EX: An older person may dream of being young and

energetic or an awkward teenager may dream of being the star

athleteThis “self-picture” becomes how that individual sees

himself/herself, regardless of external influences.Therefore, attempting to change the individual or self-

picture is threatening because the individual must fight for what they think is true, but they know is not true.

How Individual Personality DevelopsWhat does personality have to do with self-

listening?Actively listening does not present a threat to

the individual’s self-picture. Therefore, the individual does not have to

defend his self-picture. He can explore it, and decide for himself how realistic that picture is to him.

THEN he can change his self-picture as he sees fit.

Article: “Active Listening”: Research by University of Colorado

“When people talk to each other, they don’t listen attentively. They are often distracted, half listening, half thinking about something else. When people are engaged in conflict, they are often busy formulating a response to what is being said. They assume that they have heard what their opponent is saying many times before, so rather than paying attention, they focus on how they can respond to win the argument.”

Sound familiar???

How to Actively ListenWhat to Avoid:1. Avoid making the individual see things in the

perspective that YOU see them. When you do this, you’re subconsciously responding to YOUR OWN NEEDS.

Instead, be open to the “risk” of seeing the world from the speaker’s eyes so that you have an open mind while listening to the speaker.

2. Don’t pass judgment because the speaker will notice and no longer feel comfortable expressing himself.

3. Positive evaluations are sometimes as blocking as negative evaluations.

How to Actively ListenWhat to do to successfully be an Active Listener:1. Take a NEUTRAL STANCE. Don’t agree or

disagree with what the individual is saying.2. Recognize the question/problem the

employee is facing, but LEAVE AN OPENING for the employee to say what’s really on his mind. A.K.A. Think with the employee, not for or about them.

3. Convey to speaker you’re seeing things from his point of view.

What to Do When Actively Listening1. Listen for Total Meaning

2. Respond to Feelings

3. Note All Cues

After listening: test yourself by reflecting, in your own words, what the speaker is implying by his words/actions

What We Communicate by ListeningYou’re telling the speaker that:You’re interested in them as a personWhat the speaker is saying is importantYou respect the speaker’s thoughts, even if you

disagreeYou know the speaker is making a contributionYou’re not trying to change or judge the speakerYou just want to understand the speakerYou think the speaker’s thoughts are worth listening to *You want the speaker to know that you’re the kind of

person he/she can talk to about problems or challenges

Nonverbal CommunicationAccording to “Active Listening, the no. 1 Skill for Project

Managers”:

Things a Manager Should Always Notice:1. Facial Expressions2. Eye Contact from Speaker to Listener3. Body Gestures4. Tone of Voice5. Checking the Time

Listening and ProductivityThere is no exact answer as to if Listening

and Productivity in the workplace are positively correlated. There are many factors that result in job satisfaction.

“People are more effectively motivated when they are given some degree of freedom…They do better when some degree of decision-making about their jobs is possible than when all decisions are made for them. They respond more adequately when they are treated as personalities than as cogs in a machine.”

ConclusionIt’s a personal decision as to whether or not

the manager chooses to actively listening to his employees.

However, a manager becoming an active listener could only positively impact the company.

It improves employee morale and motivates the workers to do their job to their fullest potential since they know their thoughts, concerns, and opinions are being heard by the managers and acted upon in the best way.

SO…

Were YOU Listening????

References "About Carl Rogers." Curtis Graf and The Person-Centered Approach. Web. 27

Sept. 2011. <http://www.person-centered.org/carl.html>. "Active Listening." University of Colorado Boulder. Conflict Research

Consortium, 1998. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. <http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/activel.htm>.

"I'm Listening! Wait, What Did You Say? - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-a-Yz4xA8>.

Osland, Joyce S., and Marlene E. Turner. The Organizational Behavior Reader. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.

"Richard Farson - Full Biography." Western Behavioral Sciences Institute - Welcome to WBSI. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://www.wbsi.org/farson/biography_long.htm>.

Rogers, Carl R., and Richard E. Farson. "Active Listening." University of Chicago Industrial Relations Center (1957). Abstract. Print.

Sweeney, Jo Ann. "Active Listening." CommsAbilities - Course. 29 June 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. <http://www.commsabilities.com/blog.asp?blogid=48>.

"YouTube - Broadcast Yourself." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1>.