Listening Skills

Presenter: Sajad Amin

 Importance of listening Skills
• The ability not only to listen, but to listen
actively is essential to working individually or
in a team environment. A small business can
never afford to alienate its customers. Well-
developed listening skills impact customer
interactions and depending on the situation
may determine whether customers stay or go.
 Importance of listening Skills
• Active listening is required and it takes place
when a listener focuses his full attention on
the speaker, avoids interrupting the speaker,
remains nonjudgmental and shows genuine
interest in the speaker.
Importance of Listening in Conflict Resolution

• Workplace disputes and unhappy customers disrupt

productivity and create an inefficient work environment.
An ability to listen can, however, turn a disruptive
situation into an opportunity for growth. If an upset
coworker or dissatisfied customer feels she is truly being
heard, it can help to calm the situation, relieve negative
feelings and provide an opportunity for real problem
solving to begin. Effective listening is a way of showing
true concern for the speaker and their situation. This
increases interpersonal bonding, forming a basis for
commitment and trust.
 Productivity and the Listening Organization

• Effective listening can produce unintended results that

ultimately benefit both the business and the speaker. For
example, when a department takes the time to really
listen to employees, she hears not only what they’re
saying but gets insight into what makes each employee
tick. The better a manager understands his employees
the more effectively he can motivate employees. This
makes it easier for a manager to choose appropriate
rewards such as public vs. private praise, additional
responsibilities or a greater degree of independence.
 Importance of Listening in Perception Management

• A small business’s reputation can make or break its

chances for future success and profitability. Good
listening skills can prevent misunderstandings,
ensure a first encounter creates a positive
impression and help maintain a small business’
good reputation. On the customer side, word-of-
mouth is powerful advertising medium. Taking the
time to listen and get it right the first time creates
an impression that has the potential to
exponentially spread.
 Creating Powerful Working Relationships

• Listening is a key component in establishing effective

working relationships between employee groups
and between management and staff, but is is just as
important when dealing with suppliers or vendors.
It’s all part of creating efficient working relationships
that not only saves both side valuable time but can
have potentially significant benefits. For example,
strong relationships can benefit a small business
when sales revenues are low and the business could
benefit from an extended line of credit.
Q. Effective Listening in Business Communication

• Effective listening is a great skill to have in the

workplace. According to the University of
Missouri people spend about “70 to 80
percent of our waking hours in some form of
communication.” By becoming a better listener
you will get more out of each conversation as
well as convey an attitude of respect to the
speaker. This respect may also be returned to
you when you it's your turn to speak.
 Concentration

• During a conversation you may be thinking of

what you want to say next or what you’re
having for dinner or anything except what the
speaker is saying. One of the simplest things
to foster effective listening is to concentrate. If
you find your mind start to wander, refocus on
what the speaker is saying. Don’t worry about
what you missed, pick up the conversation
and follow it.
 Body Language

• Eyes focused on the speaker, sitting forward slightly in

your chair, arms and legs in an open and relaxed position
are examples of body language that communicates true
listening. Take a second to become aware of what your
nonverbal communication is saying to others. If it is
anything other than positive and attentive, adjust your
position or move your arms or legs. Nonverbal clues are
even more important in a tense or difficult discussion. It
is still possible to be open and receptive even in the
most challenging conversation.
 Active Listening

• Active listening is not simply muttering the

occasional “uh-huh” or “right” during a
conversation. It means asking clarifying questions
to make sure you understand what is being said,
and interjecting small and appropriate
commentary as needed. Active listening will help
you understand the real message behind the
speaker’s words, which is often more than the
mere facts of the conversation.
 Paraphrasing

• As it feels appropriate, check with the speaker to

ensure that you have a clear understanding of what
she is trying to communicate. A simple way to do
this is by paraphrasing or repeating back what you
heard. Don’t be concerned with parroting the exact
words; focus more on the intent or meaning of the
words. If you haven’t accurately understood what
the speaker is trying to communicate, paraphrasing
is a good opportunity for her to explain her
meaning in a new way.
 Avoid

• Avoid important business discussions in a noisy

environment. Communication is challenging enough
without the speaker competing with other noises
and distractions for the listener’s attention. When
possible during business meetings or discussions,
turn the phone off, shut down the computer, or at
least the monitor, and close the door to discourage
people from dropping by. Also, as much as possible
avoid interrupting the speaker. Wait for a pause to
ask for clarification or more information.
Q.Why Is Listening Important in a Business Organization?

• Verbal communication involves both speaking

and listening. In a business organization,
listening is key to effective working
relationships among employees and between
management and staff. Listening skills also
impact a company’s interaction with
customers and other businesses.
• To improve your listening skills, give the other
person your full attention and maintain eye
contact. When she is done speaking, rephrase
her remarks and ask whether you understand
her correctly. Continue to ask questions to
gain a better understanding of her statements.
 Tip

• Listening enables you to acquire facts so that

you can make decisions that benefit your
business. It is essential to building trust and
can reduce conflict. The reputation of a
business depends upon listening skills.
 To Gain Information

• Listening enables you to acquire facts so that you can

make decisions that benefit your business. By listening
to a job applicant in an interview, for example, you
might discover his attitudes toward the profession,
performance in previous jobs and information not
detailed on his resume. This additional insight can help
you decide whether the applicant is a good fit for your
company. A supervisor who listens to an employee’s
complaint about a health risk on the job might reduce
injuries and enhance job performance.
 Developing and Building Trust

• Listening is essential to building trust. If one

member of a team doesn’t listen to
instructions, an entire project might fail. To
develop trust, pay attention to verbal
instructions and deadlines. Listen for
statements a coworker might make regarding
his own strengths and weaknesses as it relates
to a project, so that you can collaborate in a
way that maximizes each other’s strengths.
 Maintaining Your Reputation

• The reputation of a business depends upon

listening skills. If you fail to listen to a customer, for
example, the customer might not receive the
service or product she expected. When this occurs
repeatedly, it can tarnish the company’s
reputation. A company develops relationships with
other businesses through verbal communication,
too. Talking on the phone and working on a task at
the same time can result in misunderstandings.
 Listening Can Reduce Conflict

• Listening can reduce conflict. A conflict can arise

when an individual feels misunderstood or
mistreated. For example, if you fail to listen to
instructions and your coworker does the task you
were supposed to perform, the coworker might
be unhappy with you. Pay attention to nonverbal
cues, as well. If an individual’s facial expressions,
gestures or behavior contradict her words, ask
questions to find out what she really means.
 Motivating Employees Through Listening

• A manager can improve morale and

productivity by understanding what motivates
each employee. Listen to employees to
discover what aspects of the job they find most
rewarding and challenging. Don’t expect to
understand an employee’s needs from a single
conversation. Continue to be an attentive
listener so that the employee knows you are
sincerely interested in what she has to say.
 Q. Steps To Effective Listening

• In today's high-tech, high-speed, high-stress world,

communication is more important then ever, yet we
seem to devote less and less time to really listening to
one another. Genuine listening has become a rare gift—
the gift of time. It helps build relationships, solve
problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and
improve accuracy. At work, effective listening means
fewer errors and less wasted time. At home, it helps
develop resourceful, self-reliant kids who can solve their
own problems. Listening builds friendships and careers.
Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

• Talking to someone while they scan the room,

study a computer screen, or gaze out the
window is like trying to hit a moving target.
How much of the person's divided attention
you are actually getting? Fifty percent? Five
percent? If the person were your child you
might demand, "Look at me when I'm talking
to you," but that's not the sort of thing we say
to a lover, friend or colleague.
Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

• In most Western cultures, eye contact is

considered a basic ingredient of effective
communication. When we talk, we look each
other in the eye. That doesn't mean that you can't
carry on a conversation from across the room, or
from another room, but if the conversation
continues for any length of time, you (or the other
person) will get up and move. The desire for
better communication pulls you together.
Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

• Do your conversational partners the courtesy of

turning to face them. Put aside papers, books,
the phone and other distractions. Look at them,
even if they don't look at you. Shyness,
uncertainty, shame, guilt, or other emotions,
along with cultural taboos, can inhibit eye contact
in some people under some circumstances.
Excuse the other guy, but stay focused yourself.
 Step 2: Be attentive, but relaxed.

• Now that you've made eye contact, relax. You

don't have to stare fixedly at the other person.
You can look away now and then and carry on
like a normal person. The important thing is to
be attentive.
 Step 2: Be attentive, but relaxed.

• The dictionary says that to "attend" another person means to:

• be present
• give attention
• apply or direct yourself
• pay attention
• remain ready to serve
• Mentally screen out distractions, like background activity and
noise. In addition, try not to focus on the speaker's accent or
speech mannerisms to the point where they become
distractions. Finally, don't be distracted by your own thoughts,
feelings, or biases.
 Step 3: Keep an open mind.

• Listen without judging the other person or

mentally criticizing the things she tells you. If
what she says alarms you, go ahead and feel
alarmed, but don't say to yourself, "Well, that
was a stupid move." As soon as you indulge in
judgmental bemusements, you've
compromised your effectiveness as a listener.
 Step 3: Keep an open mind.

• Listen without jumping to conclusions.

Remember that the speaker is using language
to represent the thoughts and feelings inside
her brain. You don't know what those
thoughts and feelings are and the only way
you'll find out is by listening.
 Step 3: Keep an open mind.

• Don't be a sentence-grabber. Occasionally my partner

can't slow his mental pace enough to listen effectively,
so he tries to speed up mine by interrupting and
finishing my sentences. This usually lands him way off
base, because he is following his own train of thought
and doesn't learn where my thoughts are headed. After
a couple of rounds of this, I usually ask, "Do you want
to have this conversation by yourself, or do you want to
hear what I have to say?" I wouldn't do that with
everyone, but it works with him.
Step 4: Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is
saying.

• Allow your mind to create a mental model of

the information being communicated.
Whether a literal picture, or an arrangement
of abstract concepts, your brain will do the
necessary work if you stay focused, with
senses fully alert. When listening for long
stretches, concentrate on, and remember, key
words and phrases.
Step 4: Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is
saying.

• When it's your turn to listen, don’t spend the

time planning what to say next. You can't
rehearse and listen at the same time. Think
only about what the other person is saying.
• Finally, concentrate on what is being said,
even if it bores you. If your thoughts start to
wander, immediately force yourself to refocus.
Step 5: Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."

• Children used to be taught that it's rude to

interrupt. I'm not sure that message is getting
across anymore. Certainly the opposite is
being modeled on the majority of talk shows
and reality programs, where loud, aggressive,
in-your-face behavior is condoned, if not
encouraged.
Step 5: Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."

• Interrupting sends a variety of messages. It says:

• "I'm more important than you are."
• "What I have to say is more interesting, accurate
or relevant."
• "I don't really care what you think."
• "I don't have time for your opinion."
• "This isn't a conversation, it's a contest, and I'm
going to win."
Step 5: Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."

• We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick

thinker and an agile talker, the burden is onyouto relax your
pace for the slower, more thoughtful communicator—or for
the guy who has trouble expressing himself.
• When listening to someone talk about a problem, refrain
from suggesting solutions. Most of us don't want your advice
anyway. If we do, we'll ask for it. Most of us prefer to figure
out our own solutions. We need you to listen and help us do
that. Somewhere way down the line, if you are absolutely
bursting with a brilliant solution, at least get the speaker's
permission. Ask, "Would you like to hear my ideas?"
Step 6: Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.

• When you don't understand something, of

course you should ask the speaker to explain it
to you. But rather than interrupt, wait until
the speaker pauses. Then say something like,
"Back up a second. I didn't understand what
you just said about…"
 Step 7: Ask questions only to ensure understanding.

• At lunch, a colleague is excitedly telling you about

her trip to Vermont and all the wonderful things she
did and saw. In the course of this chronicle, she
mentions that she spent some time with a mutual
friend. You jump in with, "Oh, I haven't heard from
Alice in ages. How is she?" and, just like that,
discussion shifts to Alice and her divorce, and the
poor kids, which leads to a comparison of custody
laws, and before you know it an hour is gone and
Vermont is a distant memory.
 Step 7: Ask questions only to ensure understanding.

• This particular conversational affront happens all the

time. Our questions lead people in directions that
have nothing to do with where they thought they
were going. Sometimes we work our way back to the
original topic, but very often we don't.
• When you notice that your question has led the
speaker astray, take responsibility for getting the
conversation back on track by saying something like,
"It was great to hear about Alice, but tell me more
about your adventure in Vermont."
Step 8: Try to feel what the speaker is feeling.

• If you feel sad when the person with whom

you are talking expresses sadness, joyful when
she expresses joy, fearful when she describes
her fears—and convey those feelings through
your facial expressions and words—then your
effectiveness as a listener is assured. Empathy
is the heart and soul of good listening.
Step 8: Try to feel what the speaker is feeling.

• To experience empathy, you have to put

yourself in the other person's place and allow
yourself to feel what it is like to be her at that
moment. This is not an easy thing to do. It
takes energy and concentration. But it is a
generous and helpful thing to do, and it
facilitates communication like nothing else
does.
 Step 9: Give the speaker regular feedback.

• Show that you understand where the speaker is

coming from by reflecting the speaker's feelings.
"You must be thrilled!" "What a terrible ordeal for
you." "I can see that you are confused." If the
speaker's feelings are hidden or unclear, then
occasionally paraphrase the content of the
message. Or just nod and show your understanding
through appropriate facial expressions and an
occasional well-timed "hmmm" or "uh huh."
 Step 9: Give the speaker regular feedback.

• The idea is to give the speaker some proof

that you are listening, and that you are
following her train of thought—not off
indulging in your own fantasies while she talks
to the ether.
• In task situations, regardless of whether at
work or home, always restate instructions and
messages to be sure you understand correctly.
Step 10: Pay attention to what isn't said—to nonverbal cues.

• If you exclude email, the majority of direct

communication is probably nonverbal. We glean a
great deal of information about each other without
saying a word. Even over the telephone, you can
learn almost as much about a person from the tone
and cadence of her voice than from anything she
says. When I talk to my best friend, it doesn't
matter what we chat about, if I hear a lilt and
laughter in her voice, I feel reassured that she's
doing well.
Step 10: Pay attention to what isn't said—to nonverbal cues.

• Face to face with a person, you can detect

enthusiasm, boredom, or irritation very
quickly in the expression around the eyes, the
set of the mouth, the slope of the shoulders.
These are clues you can't ignore. When
listening, remember that words convey only a
fraction of the message.