Power Up! Listening Skills for the 21st Century

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 1 Introduction

SECTION 2 2 The Value of Listening

2.1 At Work 2.2 In Life

SECTION 3 4 Why Don�’t People Listen?

SECTION 4 5 How and What We Teach

4.1 HighGain�’s Systems Approach

SECTION 5 8 Ways to Improve Listening

With Our Programs

SECTION 6 11 About HighGain

SECTION 7 12 Appendix

Contact Information, Creative Commons License

1. INTRODUCTION

Greetings,

Thank you for your interest in our work.

This booklet describes our approach to improving individuals�’

listening skills. It may be one of the most important booklets

you�’ll ever read.

Individuals over the years have told us that as a result of taking

our programs they have improved their personal and work lives,

become fascinated with the process of communication, and

moved their listening to much deeper levels. The results have

changed their lives.

�“Listening looks

easy, but it�’s not

simple. Every head

is a world.�”

�— Cuban Proverb

These types of insights are confirmed by considerable research

reported by the International Listening Association.

I hope you enjoy reading this booklet, and I look forward to

showing you how excellent listening can help you achieve your

life goals.

Respectfully,

Richard Anstruther Founder and CEO

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2. THE VALUE OF LISTENING

2.1 AT WORK June Rokoff, Senior Vice President for Software Development

at Lotus (now an IBM subsidiary), credits her success in turning

around the company�’s position in the software industry to

building a team that listens.1 In fact, listening is number one

on IBM�’s list of critical management skills. James Houghton,

CEO of Corning Inc., places a similar value on listening,

identifying listening as essential to quality.2

There is an expanding awareness in business of the value of

good listening skills. To ignore this important tool in today�’s

competitive business environment can lead to costly errors,

wasted time, an absence of teamwork, unsatisfactory service

and misunderstandings at all levels. As the old saying goes,

�“It pays to listen.�”

�“Genuine listening

ability is one of

the true forms of

competitive

advantage.�”

�— Feargal Quinn CEO Superquinn Supermarkets Ireland

Yet, despite its importance, listening is often at the bottom of

the hierarchy of communication skills taught at the workplace.

Most people have far more training in reading, writing, and

speaking than they do in listening�—even though all of us

spend far more time listening. A study by Wolvin & Coakley

in 1991 found that most experts agree that people spend about

9% of waking hours writing, 15% reading, 30% speaking, and 45%

listening.3 For executives, studies show that time spent listening

is even higher�—55% or more on the average each day.

More than 35 general business studies conducted over the past

few years demonstrate that listening-centered communication

improves results.4 The studies demonstrate that: �“Every person

I work with knows

something better

than me. My job

is to listen long

enough to find it

and use it.�”

�— Jack Nichols Painter

Schools devote too little direct instruction into listening as

part of their language arts curricula even though it is a

basic skill required of all employees in the workplace. (U.S.

Department of Labor, What Work Requires of Schools, 1991)

Ineffective listening throughout organizational structures

results in low morale, high absenteeism and turnover, low

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productivity, lack of upward communication, and ineffective

horizontal communication. (Brownell, 1994)

Employee listening ability has a definite impact on their

productivity. (Papa & Glen, 1988)

46% of those who quit their jobs did so because they felt

not listened to and were therefore unappreciated. (U.S.

Department of Labor, 1999)

Effective listening is a skill that needs to be developed as

a prerequisite for successful practice of the more �“active�”

skills of speaking and writing. (Goby & Lewis, Nanyang

Technological University, 2003)

�“The significant

problems we face

cannot be solved

at the same level

of thinking we were

at when we created

them.�”

�— Albert Einstein Physicist

2.2 IN LIFE Whether you are a diplomat, emissary, life coach, salesperson,

teacher, counselor, peace worker or someone�’s partner, your

communication ability will improve in both subtle and distinct

ways. Some of the benefits you will realize are:

Enhanced Insight �— You will learn much more about managing

tricky communications. For example, in emotional or highly

charged conversations you will learn to better understand the

other person�’s motivations.

Better Rapport �— Every great talker has to have a listener;

people will appreciate you in ways you�’ve never considered;

you can become quite popular in the process of listening well.5

�“At the bottom

of things, most

people want to

be understood

and appreciated.�”

�— The Buddha

Greater Esteem and Trustworthiness �— If you are trustworthy,

people will confide in you, care for you and hold you in high

regard. It is interesting to note that neurologists report that

the same areas of the brain activated when we are in love are

activated when we have been listened to.

Expanded Personal Growth �— Your newly acquired skills can act

as a basis of inquiry into other forms of listening�—to yourself, to

the natural world, and to the spiritual world.

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3. WHY DON�’T PEOPLE LISTEN?

There are many reasons why we don�’t listen; some are cultural,

some psychological and some physiological. Based on years of

experience, we have identified the Top 10 reasons why people

don�’t listen. They are:

1. American culture places a great deal of emphasis on talking

(witness the rise of blogs and YouTube).6

2. Most of us think we listen well already, yet our research has

shown that people can only identify 1-2 great listeners from

their entire lives.7

�“Listening is a

magnetic and

strange thing,

a creative force.

The friends who

listen to us are

the ones we

move toward.

When we are

listened to, it

creates us,

makes us unfold

and expand.�”

�— Karl Menninger Psychiatrist & Founder of The Menninger Clinic

3. Boredom: the average person talks at rates of 125-175 words

a minute, yet we can listen at rates of up to 450 words per

minute. With this large processing gap, we drift off and think

of other things while listening.8

4. We confuse listening and hearing.

5. We think good listening takes too long. Good listening

actually minimizes useless distractions and enables you

to hear the message correctly the first time.

6. We are an action-oriented culture, with a strong emphasis

on getting the job done. We frequently act before we fully

understand.

7. Less than 2% of us have had formal educational experience

with listening. Most �“communication�” courses are about

expression.9

�“Easy Listening

exists only on the

radio.�”

�— David Barkan International Listening Association

8. We project our thoughts and views onto others, assuming

they feel the same way.

9. We confuse listening with agreeing. Listening is about

understanding and not necessarily agreeing.

10. We make assumptions that the speaker has all the power

and that the listener is in a passive mode. Good listeners

have most of the power and control, because they help

the speaker tap into the depths of his or her wisdom and

experience in order to better verbalize it.

�“Listening is the

hardest of the

easy tasks.�”

�— Harvey Mackay Entrepreneur & Author

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4. HOW AND WHAT WE TEACH

All of HighGain�’s programs are steeped in adult learning

practices and include these four critical steps:

Awareness of current listening patterns

Practice of newly acquired skills

Constructive feedback from the facilitator and other

participants

Creation of a realistic plan to integrate new listening skills

into daily work �“If speaking is

silver, then

listening is gold.�”

�— Turkish Proverb Our training programs target differing levels of listening

development. Our experience shows that each participant

begins at a unique listening level. Therefore, the challenges

to listening integratively range in difficulty from basic to

complex, depending on the individual.

Our programs range from brief introductory overviews to

sophisticated trainings that take place over several days. Unlike

many traditional listening courses, which extend for only a few

hours and essentially teach �“faking�” skills, HighGain�’s programs

and program delivery options offer participants the opportunity

to embody the skills of listening conveniently and easily.

�“To say that a person

feels listened to

means a lot more

than just their ideas

get heard. It�’s a sign

of respect. It makes

people feel valued..�”

�— Deborah Tannen Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University, & Author

Built into our range of programs and options is a natural

flexibility, making them easy and accessible to anyone

motivated toward, or responsible for, improving listening

skills, for themselves or their team.

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4.1 HIGHGAIN�’S SYSTEMS APPROACH We take your business seriously. We know that listening works

and that it can greatly improve results. We take a systems

approach, which assures that your organization listens better to

customers and to each other. We will show your company how to

become a Listening Organization.

�“Listening�—and

responding�—to

suggestions from

employees and

customers was

the key to

winning.�”

�— Wainwright Industries 1994 Baldridge Quality Award

Listening performance gains are hard to realize without the

sustained efforts of everyone involved. To imbed the listening

strategies and skills into the fabric of a work group or an

organization usually requires a cultural change. Once a company

becomes a Listening Organization, it acquires a powerful

competitive advantage.

Organizations that listen well on all levels are able to apply this

new performance capability to improve key business results such

as:

Enhanced customer service

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�“Many �‘active listening�’ seminars are, in actuality, little more than a shallow

theatrical exercise in appearing like you�’re paying attention to another person.

The requirements: Lean forward, make eye contact, nod, grunt, or murmur to

demonstrate you�’re awake and paying attention, and paraphrase something

back every 30 seconds or so. As one executive I know wryly observed, many

inhabitants of the local zoo could be trained to go through these motions,

minus the paraphrasing.�”

�— Robert Cooper Author Executive EQ

Increased sales revenue and market share

Improved productivity, quality and teamwork

Strengthened trust and relationships with customers and

coworkers

�“Listen,, Ask

and Speak Up.�”

�— Operating Principle Honda Motor Company

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HighGain takes a comprehensive systems approach to helping

your work group or organization build the Listening Organization.

This approach includes:

The development of a Listening Protocol that serves as the

listening standard and cultural beacon for the company. �“I think the

one lesson

I have learned

is that there

is no substitute

for paying

attention.�”

�— Diane Sawyer Television Anchor

System Components for performance development to assure

the long-lasting effects of the listening improvement effort.

These Components are:

In-depth Analysis

Customized Skill-Based Programs

Coaching Skills for Supervisors and Managers

Follow-up Enhancements

Mechanisms for Assessment, Feedback and Reinforcement

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5. WAYS TO IMPROVE LISTENING WITH OUR PROGRAMS

HighGain strives to make our listening knowledge available in

multiple formats for easy access by anyone.

LISTEN UP �— This very popular, one-day program includes the

Listening Assessment, an introduction to HighGain�’s CORE�™

listening model, an assortment of fundamental actions, skills

practice and a plan for skill implementation. Contact us for

group pricing information. �“95% of salespeople

talk too much and

listen too little.�”

�— Sales Board survey �— 16,000 customers and 300 salespeople in 25+ industries

�“We convince by

our presence.�”

�— Walt Whitman Poet

BEST LISTENING PRACTICES �— This is a comprehensive

introduction to the subject of listening. Includes two self-

assessments, 28 best listening practices grouped into 6 key

categories, and interactive study on the �“Inner Game of

Listening.�” Contact us for group pricing information.

LISTENING YOUR WAY TO CLARITY �— This two-day program

takes our one-day Listen Up program into wider and deeper

application, with the addition of memory improvement and

flexibility techniques, assertive communication know-how,

dynamic feedback and a self-designed, customized action plan.

Skills practice is considerable. Offered as an onsite program.

Contact us for group pricing information.

CORE LISTENING: The Hidden Power of Selling �— Especially

designed for those in sales and related fields, this program is

founded on the philosophy that good listening is the ultimate

positioning tool. It is delivered in either a 1-day or 1.5-day

format and trains participants toward �“total attention�”

management and the 7 Keys to Sales Mastery. Highly

participative, engaging, well paced and fun. Offered at

your business site. Contact us for pricing information.

TEAM LISTENING KIT �— This program is ideal for small client-

based companies or small groups working together in businesses

or in public service. Its novel approach is designed to cut the

cost of training while bringing the essence of listening to small highgain.com

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teams and organizations. It includes our MOREAR® Assessment

revolving around the 6 key aspects of listening, a 14-page

interactive guide, and other aids to help small groups reach

their listening goals. Dental, medical, realty, architectural

offices, citizen-activist groups, or any other group that is

working together will find this program a worthy investment

of time and money. Offered online or onsite. Price varies with

size of team. Contact us for information.

�“No one ever

listened themselves

out of a job.�”

�— Calvin Coolidge 30th U.S. President

LISTENING ASSESSMENT �— This self-assessment tool is where all

our programs begin. Developed over 18 years and acclaimed by

high-ranking analysts in the field of Listening Training, it is

designed to assist you in assessing your perception of your own

skills. Used for both online and onsite programs. Available at

highgain.com.

�“90% of life is

showing up.�”

�— Woody Allen Writer & Actor

360º LISTENING ASSESSMENT �— This tool expands the above

self-assessment by including the observations of others who

know you well. It is designed to counter the inherent bias in

self-assessments. Offered online as well as onsite. Contact us

for group pricing information.

�“You have to be

present to win.�”

�— Sign in a Las Vegas Casino

PROGRAM COMPONENTS Each full-length program includes:

A complete syllabus, including an extensive bibliography

A Participant Manual

Posters to remind you of the key components

A self-designed, customized Action Plan

A wallet-sized skill card that summarizes the key components

Certificate of Completion

And we guarantee that each full-length listening program

provides the following core skills:

Presence. Learning to be present with the speaker. Excellent

listeners find a way to clear their mind before the meeting or

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interaction. People can sense this in a moment, and it sets the

tone for the entire conversation.10 11 12

Encouragement. Allowing the other to speak, and fully com-

plete their thoughts before offering advice or interjections.

Learning to tolerate pauses. Confirming the speaker has

finished before moving into the speaker�’s role.13 14

Confirmation. Demonstrating an understanding of the message

by summarizing the key components of the information. Simply

saying, �“I hear you�” does not work.

Empathy. Listening for the emotion in the message (most

messages have them) and building a vocabulary of feeling

words.15 16 Emotions are often the unspoken part of a message

the speaker is conveying. Understanding the emotional content

is key to fully comprehending the underlying meaning.17

�“Education is the ability to listen to almost

anything without losing your temper or your

self-confidence.�”

�— Robert Frost Poet

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6. ABOUT HIGHGAIN

Richard Anstruther, Certified Listening Professional, founded

HighGain in 1980, and many of the nation�’s largest corporations

have benefited from HighGain�’s innovative listening programs.

We were the recipients of the 2004 Listening in Business Award

bestowed by the International Listening Association.

Our proven training and coaching methods have produced

measurable results, time after time, with such companies as

AT&T, Dell, Federal Reserve Bank, Johnson & Johnson, The New

York Times and VISA.

All of our trainers are accredited Certified Listening Professionals

(CLP) from the International Listening Association. �“The human

mind is like an

umbrella. It

functions best

when open.�”

�— Walter Gropious German-American Architect

Our MOREAR® Assessment is the driver of all of our work.

Validated by experts, our Assessment draws on the work of

Thomas F. Gilbert, learning theorist and author of Human

Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance (1978).

�“Gilbert believed that peak human performance is teachable,�”

explains Anstruther, �“and that the difference between excel-

lence and mediocrity amounts to a few skills the excellent use

that can be isolated and taught. Interestingly, he found this to

be true across many disciplines.�” �“The saddest

part about being

human is not

paying attention.

Presence is the

gift of life.�”

�— Stephen Levine Author

Our programs have been informed by the works of Carl Rogers,

Virginia Satyr, Fritz Perls, Genie Laborde, the founders of NLP,

Richard is currently working on additional, innovative ways to

teach advanced listening.

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7. APPENDIX

1 Glen Rifkin. Profile, The �“Iron Lady�” Keeping Lotus on Track, New York Times, January 23, 1994 2 Andrew D. Wolvin. Listening In the Quality Organization, Finger Lakes Press, 1999, p. 7 3 Andrew D. Wolvin. Listening In the Quality Organization, Finger Lakes Press, 1999, p. 16 4 Andrew D. Wolvin and Carolyn Gwynn Coakley. �“A Survey of the Status of Listening Training in Some Fortune 500 Companies,�” Communication Education, Volume 40, No. 2, April 1991

�“Courage is what

it takes to stand

up and speak;

courage is also

what it takes to

sit down and

listen.�”

�— Winston Churchill British Prime Minister

5 Richard Anstruther�’s observation is that listening is nothing short of a secret weapon in conversation 6 New York Times, November, 2006 7 HighGain participant observations, 1988-2006 8 Carver, Johnson, & Friedman, International Listening Association�’s website, listen.org 9 Gregg. listen.org, 2006 10 Andrew Wolvin & Carolyn Coakley. Listening, McGraw-Hill, 1996, pp 222-225 11 Rebecca Shafir. The Zen of Listening, Quest Books, 2000, pp 37-79 12 Thich Nhat Hahn. Peace Is Every Step, Bantam Books, 1992 13 Genie Laborde. Influencing with Integrity, Syntony, 1987, pp 27-43 14 James Kouzes & Barry Posner. Encouraging the Heart, Jossey-Bass, 1999, pp 79-82

�“If the person

you are talking

to doesn�’t appear

to be listening,

be patient. It

may simply be

that he has a

small piece of

fluff in his ear.�”

�— Pooh�’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne

15 Carl Rogers. On Becoming a Person, Houghton Mifflin, 1961, pp 331-337 16 Vincenne Waxwood. Linking Listening and Empathy, Paper presented at the ILA Annual Conference, March 2001 17 Antonio Damasio. Descartes�’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain, Penguin, 2005

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CONTACT INFORMATION CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

CONTACT INFORMATION HighGain Inc. 2150 Blucher Valley Road Sebastopol, CA 95472-5306 USA 001.707.824.9669 Pacific (GMT �–8 hours)

Power Up! 2010 v1.6 © 2010 HighGain Inc. All International Rights Reserved

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

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