You work for Jason P. Mc Donald, a middle aged, well-educated man who owns two card/gift shops, a security company, three fast-food restaurants, and a flower shop/garden center. Jason is creative and highly motivated. He credits his success, in part, to his ability to listen effectively. He wants his employees to share his view of how important it is to listen and plans to display attractively designed, framed quotes about listening in the work areas of his various businesses. He’s asked you to select two quotes.

Now select the two quotes you want to recommend and why. Be sure you consider the diversity of Jason’s businesses as you make your selections.

Try to listen carefully that you might not have to speak.

–Quaker saying History repeats itself because no one listens the first time.

–Anonymous It’s my job to listen and yours to listen, but please, let me

know if you finish before I do. –Anonymous A good listener truly wants to know the speaker. –John

Powell If speaking is silver, then listening is gold. –Turkish

proverb Easy listening exists only on the radio. –David Barkan Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble.

–Frank Tyger

Instead of listening to what is being said to them, many managers are already listening to what they are going to say. –Anonymous

It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen. –Oliver

Opportunities are often missed because we are broadcasting when we should be listening. –Author Unknown

Listening is the single skill that makes the difference between a mediocre and a great company. –Lee Lacoccca

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. –Winston Chruchill

LISTENING SKILLS

Closing the mouth and

opening the ears facilitates effective

communication

Why listen? Seek first to understand, then to be

understood. – Stephen Covey

The need to listen to the other person before we can expect them to listen to us.

Effective listening implies that the listener understands what the speaker means.

The difference between hearing and listening can

be stated this way:

Hearing is the reception of sound, while listening is the attachment of meaning to the sound.

Hearing is passive, but listening is active.

LISTENING SKILLS Listening is an active process.

Listening is purposeful hearing.

The act of hearing attentively.

Attending to or alert for sound.

TYPES OF LISTENING

Ignoring

Selective Listening

Attentive Listening

Empathic Listening

You come back home late after a hard day’s work and your brother greets you saying, “it was a terrible day for me. My bike had a flat tyre. I forgot my papers at home. The work had to be redone in office. And when I came back, I found that the cook had not turned up. I have been trying to cook something to eat since then, but it’s just not happening. It’s too much to handle.”

You reply saying one of the following: I have had my share of problems too today. The cook must be fired. You’ve been really stressed out today. Can’t you see I am just back?

A number of benefits would accrue to you by cultivating this skill• Improves your intellectual ability to understand and

evaluate the views and opinions expressed by others

• Enables you to gather proper and accurate information, facilitating proper decision making

• Assists you to establish rapport with co-workers quickly

• Helps the speaker give his best

Tech Support: I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.

Customer: OK.

Tech Support: Did you get a pop-up menu?

Customer: No.

Tech Support: OK. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?

Customer: No.

Tech Support: OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until

this point?

Customer: Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'.

Barriers in the Listening Process

You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.

Aggressive and self centered people The dislike for a person or topic Noisy environment Difficulties in understanding a particular language The listener occupied with problems/ experiencing any

physical difficulty Lack of previous knowledge Experiencing information overload Rapid Thought

Listening skills

Active Listening

Ask good questions

Paraphrase

Empathize with speaker

Listening skills Active Listening (Listening with ears, eyes and heart)

Ask good questions

Clarify Meanings

Learn about others thoughts, feelings and wants

Encourage elaboration

Encourage discovery

Gather more facts and details

Ask open ended questions

Listening Skills Paraphrasing

Restating speaker’s message in one’s own words

Benefits of Paraphrasing Helps listener to make sure they understood the

message correctly. Allows speaker an opportunity to correct any

misunderstanding immediately. Allows speaker to know that listener have heard and

is interested in what he/she has to say.

"The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of." — Pascal

Empathize Put ourselves in speaker’s shoes Ignore our own perception of the situation for the

moment Accept speaker’s feelings, thoughts, and ideas of

the situation as ours. Make eye contact Empathizing does not mean we need to agree

with the speaker.

Tips to Better Listening

Maintain eye contact with the instructor. Visualize what is being said Avoid emotional involvement Stay active by asking mental questions. Use the gap between the rate of speech and

your rate of thought.

Tips to Better Listening (Contd.) Stop Talking Eliminate Distractions Don’t give advice until asked Show interest in the speaker and the

conversation Prompt the speaker Attend to non-verbal cues Give Feedback

Thank you for listening to me!