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The Importance of Effective Listening Techniques

Presented to
Instructor Perry Barton

Team Project MGMT 2215

By
Angel Edwards

1/20/2015

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Angel Edwards
Instructor Mr. Barton
MGMT 2215 Team Project
1/20/2015
Excellent Communication skills are very important in today's business world. The
success of a person depends on his or her ability to communicate and influence others in an
efficient and effective way by exchanging a flow of information or ideas one to another either
verbally or not verbally. Communication is a two way street a message is sent either to an
individual or to a group of people and is received by the other party or parties. Effective
listening techniques include verbal communication by sending a message and receiving a
response, nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expressions, and
communication barriers. It all depends on the degree by which a person perceives and
understands the message in order to have good effective listening techniques.
Effective listening techniques can all depend on how a person sends a message and how
the message is received, if and how the message is understood, if the message is remembered or
not, how the message is evaluated and responded to from the receiver of the message. In todays
high-tech, high-speed, high-stress world, communication is more important than ever, however,
it seems less and less time is really devoted to anyone really listening to one another anymore
(Schilling). We hear people when they talk but the question is are we really listening to what
they are saying.
As we talk we normally face each other when engaging in conversation by using eye
contact and facing the speaker is one way to be an effective listener. How often does it seem
when trying to talk to someone they seem to be scanning the room, study a computer screen, or
gazing out the window which can be described like trying to hit a moving target (Schilling). By
facing the speaker and having eye contact these techniques will help with receiving the message
more clearly by using our eyes we visually take in the messages and the message is sent to our
brain for interpretation and understanding. Lacking the use of eye contact could lead to
misunderstanding of the message and could also be interpreted as disrespect.
In the technology era that we live in today with so many ways to communicate
electronically it seems that face to face communication has fallen to the wayside as so many of
us hide behind computers and communicate via email, voicemail, and instant massaging instead
of good old face to face communication. Face to face communication with a person, can help
detect the mood of a person, their enthusiasm, boredom, or irritation very quickly by observing
the expression around the eyes, the set of the mouth, the slope of the shoulders (Schilling).
Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret a message in the communication
process. In most Western cultures, eye contact in a face to face conversation is considered a
basic ingredient of effective communication (Schilling). In most cases when we talk to each
other we normally look at each other using eye to eye contact. However, there are times that
conversations take place between individuals across a room or from another room or even across
the hall or over your work cubicle causing a person to not hear what the other person is saying
clearly or even causing the person to misunderstand what the other person is saying. Another
good listening skill is to be attentive and it is a good idea to mentally shut out any distractions
that might cause one to not have full comprehension of what is being communicated. Once eye
contact has been made with the speaker, now it is time to relax and shut out any distractions that
might cause misunderstanding of the message from the person talking (Schilling). Eye to eye

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contact is good but staring at a person can cause them to feel uncomfortable therefore during a
conversation one might look away now and then which is quite normal. The tone of a person's
voice, the physical posture and any hand motions display if they communication is going
forward with comprehension.
The important thing is to be attentive by paying attention to the speaker by not allowing
any distractions such as background noise, the accent of the speaker or speech mannerisms,
personal thoughts, feelings interrupt ones focus on the speaker. When listening to someone it is
best to not pass judgment on them nor criticize what the person is talking about instead keep an
open mind and listen with the intent of understanding the message. By being quick to judge
allows one to indulge in judgmental confusion causing the information to be compromised and
not effective to the listener (Schilling). Also, when listening, listen without jumping to
conclusions the speaker is using language based off their thoughts and feelings by putting them
into words. Sometimes people have a hard time putting into words how they feel or how to get
the message across so that others can understand what they are trying to communicate. It is also
helpful to listen to the words of the speaker and allow your mind to create a mental model or
picture of the information being communicated whether a literal or abstract picture by creating
an image that is transmitted to the brain allowing it to do the necessary work of interrupting the
message (Schilling). By remembering key words and phrases will also help to retain the
information being communicated and note taking can also be helpful. Something else that is
important when listening to someone is to be careful not to interrupt the speaker which can send
a negative message. Also, thinking about a reply while the person is speaking takes away from
the ability to listen. It is rude to interrupt someone when they are talking this can cause the
speaker to think that what they are saying is not important or that what they are saying is not
interesting or to go to extremes might even cause the speaker to think you do not care about what
they are talking about either way make a note and ask for clarification after the speaker has
concluded their conversation. If you are not sure what the person speaking said or do not
understand what they said ask questions for interpretation. Good listening skills are very
important. It depends on how well you listen which will have an effect on your job and the
relationship one has with others. Some key points to remember when listening to a conversation
are to listen to obtain information, understanding, enjoyment and to learn and acquire new
knowledge from the speaker.
The majority of direct communication is non-verbal such as facial expressions and body
language and the tone or pitch in the speaker's voice. We gain a greater deal of information
about each other without even saying a work just by looking at a person or watching them. For
example when on the telephone you can't see the other person but you can gain a lot of
information just by listening to the tone of their voice and by listening for other clues such as
excitement, irritation, if they sound upset, sad, happy, hurt or disappointed. By listening to a
person when you cannot visually see them but by listening to them carefully will help with
putting a visual image to what they are saying to help with understanding what the person is
communication to you. Good listening skills in communication help pull people together. By
listening to each other and understanding each other help people build relationships. When nonverbal communication is used it can send mixed signals to the listener depending on how the
speaker carries him or herself while conducting the conversation. For example, when talking to
a group of people and you look into the audience and see people yawning or crossing their arms
it is most likely you have lost their attention. A nod of a person's head might tell the speaker they
have accomplished their communication goal by receiving approval that the person understands

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what is being communicated. Disapproval might be when a person rolls their eyes or frowns
while a person is listening to someone speak. Facial composition is a telltale sign on how the
information is being received.
Listening refers to more than just hearing what someone is saying it is engaging in a
conversation with the other person and focusing on what they are saying with intent to
understand them. A quote from Rachel Remen says it best. "The most basic and powerful way
to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever
give each other is our attention". Rachel Naomi Remen (SkillsYouNeed). As simple as it sounds
there is a difference between what we hear and how we listen.
Based on the research of: Adler, R., Rosenfeld, L. and Proctor, R. (2001) Interplay: the
process of interpersonal communicating (8th ed), Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt. Adults spend an
average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45%
is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al.
2001). When listening be prepared to focus on what the person is saying, maintain eye contact,
allow the speaker to feel comfortable and relaxed, do not allow things to distract your listening to
the speaker, empathize by trying to understand the message the speaker is trying to convey and
keep an open mind. Be patient let the speaker say what they need to say and do not interrupt
them, avoid being prejudice by allowing the speakers habits or mannerisms to irritate you. For
example, some people are shy and are not use to speaking to a crowd or people might say "yum"
or "you know" a lot during their conversation or they may move their hands a lot or may even
pace back and forth while talking. Listen to the tone of the speaker sometimes people speak in a
low tone causing the audience to not be able to hear them well. Another thing is to listen for
ideas not just the words of the speaker you need to be able to get the whole picture and not just
bits and pieces so that you can really understand what the speaker's message is all about. Lastly,
look for those signs of non-verbal communication, which are very important by watching for
gestures, eye movement, and facial expressions this can help the listener pick up on additional
information being passed along from the speaker (SkillYouNeed).
There are many types of communication barriers such as physical barriers, language
barriers, cultural barriers, body language, perceptual barriers and organizational barriers. For a
person to have effective listening skills one must listen and pay attention to understand what the
speaker is trying to communicate either verbal and/or non-verbal communication it all depends
on the degree a person perceives and understands the message. However, due to some
communication barriers it can sometimes seem hard or difficult to listen. Physical barriers can
cause listening to be difficult for an example is when a person has lose of hearing and unable to
hear what the speaker is saying and even distance can cause listening difficulties. Language
barriers can cause confusion when listening to someone with a high level of vocabulary causing
a less educated person to not understand what the other person is saying or what they mean.
Another language barrier is a person's accent if the speaker has a very deep accent this can cause
misunderstanding resulting in having to constantly ask the speaker to repeat themselves which in
return can cause the speaker to become irritated and frustrated and also they may lose their chain
of thought process causing the speaker to become even more impeded. Cultural barriers can also
be a big challenge especially now when it is typical normal to do business in the global
environment. It can be difficult to understand and listen to people whose language is different,
every culture has guidelines about what is considered appropriate behavior. In some cultures,
looking someone in the eye when they are talking to you is considered rude, while in other
cultures refraining from doing so is considered disrespectful (Penn Sharon). Another thing that

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can be challenging is a person's background because people from different locations in the world
have different frames of reference, different emotions, and may display different behaviors.
Emotions can be misunderstood when listening to someone from another country because some
cultures shame against showing emotions during a business meeting while others expect a
speaker to show emotions at getting their point across to the audience (PennSharon). Perceptual
barriers can also make it hard to listen and understand someone because we all have our
preferences based off of our own experiences, values and attitudes which may lead to
misunderstanding because we are not all alike, some people have street knowledge while others
might have book knowledge. These factors can play a major role in listening to others.
Organizational barriers are probably one of the most hindering parts of the communication
exchange within an organization. Therefore, it is important that employees are offered training
in listening skills. An unclear message could cause a mass chain of chaos in a business
streaming from a miscommunication, misunderstanding, and the actions from one department to
another. Poor listening skills could lead to lowering employee's morale causing a reduction in
effectiveness and productivity especially when departments do not practice nor encourage good
listening skills.
Good listening skills can be taught, improved upon and even mastered if an individual is
really serious about doing so. By becoming a better listener a person can improve in their
productivity, their ability to influence others by persuading and negotiating allowing workplace
success. There are many ways to improve your listening skills, be an active listener by making a
conscious effort to not only hear what the other person is saying but to listen to understand what
they are saying in other words pay attention to what the person is saying. Stay focused and do
not let your mind wonder nor allow yourself to be distracted by what is going on around you give
the person your undivided attention. Another good listening skill is acknowledgment sometimes
a little nod of the head or "I hear you" just something to let the person speaking know that you
are still engaged in their conversation. At the end of the conversation ask questions, ask for
clarification on what you might not have understood, repeat or summarize to make sure you were
listening well enough to understand the message the speaker was conveying and give feedback
(Mindtools). Remember it takes a lot of concentration and determination to really be a good
listener even though we have been listening to people all our lives doesn't mean we have really
been listening to them so keep that in mind the next time you set down to have a conversation
with someone make sure you pay attention to what you hear them saying.
A quote from Steve Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Most people
do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. (Covey, 239). By
seeking to listen and to understand one can gain better listening techniques. It's all about
listening to what a person is saying to the degree of understanding the message they are trying to
get across. Covey goes on to say that we want to be heard and understood but we really never
stop to understand what is really going on inside another human being (240). How many times
have you been in a conversation with someone but not really listening to them? Most often we
engage in conversations with others with the intent to listen but only listening to what matters to
us. When another person is talking we are normally listening at one of four levels. The four
levels Covey mentions when listening to another person is that we might be ignoring the person
not really listening to them but in a way pretending we hear them. Pretending to hear the person
but not really listening by saying things like "yeah"; "you're right"; "uh-huh" most of us are
guilty of this in one way or another. Next is practicing selective listening by hearing only certain
parts of the conversation by hearing only what matters to us, or we might practice attentive

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listening by paying attention, focusing our energy on the words that the other person is saying
and connecting with the speaker. There is a fifth level which is the highest form of listening
however many of us are guilty of rarely practicing it. An empathic listener is the fifth level of
effective listening. An empathic listener means listening to another person with the intent to seek
understanding and to really understand what the message is the other person is trying to get
across (240). Practicing empathic listening is allowing yourself to really listen and understand
what the other person is saying by seeing the world the way they see the world a person can then
really understand what another person is saying. We must remember that empathy is not
sympathy but that you fully and deeply have a better understanding of the other person in an
emotional and intellectual way as to what they are trying to say (240). Empathic listening is
powerful and goes beyond normally listening skills it consist of emotions and feelings because it
is a way of really getting into somebody's head and heart and not just understanding but feeling
what they are saying by putting yourself in their shoes. Really understanding what the speaker
is trying to communicate rather than what the listener wants to believe or based off their own
beliefs. In order to be an empathic listener we have to put aside our own beliefs and list with an
open mind. Communication experts estimate, that only 10 percent of our communication is
represented by words, another 30 percent is represented by sound and 60 percent by our body
language (241). Empathic listening involves not just listening with your ears but also listening
with your eyes and heart by giving your undivided attention to the speaker. As we listen to
others we need to accept what they are saying by being an active listener and sincere in
understanding the speaker by hearing them out. Empathic listening takes time to practice but
doesn't take as much time to correct the misunderstanding because if you are really allowing
yourself to be in the speakers shoes and really grasping what they are saying then you can ask for
clarification on something you are not sure of mainly because you may have never been in that
type of situation. People learn by experience and involvement so as we learn to listen to others it
will help on a deeper level in discovering that there is a tremendous difference in perception in
how we process what we hear. For this reason we should always listen not just to hear what is
being said but to clearly make an effect to understand what the speaker is trying to get across. As
we learn to become better listeners by seeking to understand and then to be understood we
definitely to become better listeners. By becoming a better listener it will help us in all areas of
our lives, on a personal level, at home and at work.
Effective listening skills include three significant factors: presentation, perception and
previous experience which are used in our personal lives, work and socially. Presentation is the
way we as individuals interpret what is being listened to such as music, a speech, a speaker in a
business meeting. Perception is the process of interpreting, selecting and organizing what the
speaker is saying. Individuals use their own perception in processing information. For example
people may develop an appreciation to classical music because it triggers a happy memory or an
individual may pay undivided attention to a speaker because the message is of interest to them.
Previous experience is when we can relate to what the speaker is saying either by something we
have experienced ourselves individually or within our family unit or even at work.
Again, effective listening is key to all communication without the ability to listen
effectively at the message it could be easily misunderstood. There are many types and ways to
listen effectively. Communication in the business world has become more important along with
excellent listening skills. By learning and increasing your awareness of effective listening these
measures will help in developing better listening habits and skills that can enhance your work
performance. Be an active listener by listening to the speaker by demonstrating interest in what

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the speaking is saying with the goal of understanding the feelings and views of the speaker.
When listening actively can help lead to employee recognition, feedback and better performance.
Be an appreciative listener by seeking the opportunity to praise the speaker accepting and being
appreciative of what they are saying. By being an attentive listener by listening to the speaker
carefully and showing attention try staying away from personal bias but listen with an open
mind. Listening with the intent to comprehend the content by seeking meaning of what the
person speaking is trying to communicate will help with understanding the whole meaning of the
message. Avoid critical listening in the way to pass judgment or criticize the person speaking
instead use critical listening to evaluate and offer feedback to the speaker in a positive way. Use
a deep listening technique to seek to understand the person, their personality, and their real and
unspoken meanings and motivators that lie within their message. Using dialogic listening by
finding meaning through conversational exchange by asking questions for clarity and testing for
understanding by repeating what was said. For example, one might say, so that I make sure I
understand what you just said, "did you mean this"? that way the speaker can restate their
message if they see that their first attempt did not reach the audience correctly. Be a
discriminative listener by being able to block out back ground music or talking so that you can
listen to the speaker over all the other noise. Be an empathic listener by seeking to understand
their feelings demonstrating empathy not sympathy. Avoid false or inactive listening this is
where individuals pretend to listen by actually spending more time thinking instead practice to
fully listen with the intention of listening to understand the speaker in the business world it is
important to practice good listening techniques (Changing Minds).
Perhaps one of the most important parts of an employee's day is listening. Employee
listen to callers, other co-workers, supervisors, and manger's. By having good listening skills
can help employees be productive by listening and acting in a correct manner. For example, you
receive a call the person on the other end tells you their name and ask for your boss which is not
in at the moment, so you ask if you can take a message then you ask the person their name again
this can cause the caller to feel they are not important therefore they assume you were not
listening to them. To help correct this an employee can be ready by having a note pad and jotting
down the caller's name when they say it avoiding to have to ask again and again. What if a
customer calls in to place an order but the employee was writing an email to another customer
and not really paying attention to the customer on the phone, the wrong item might get ordered
or the wrong quantity and if this type of action continues the customer might take their business
to another company. Making the effort to develop better listening skills or techniques will show
customers that you really care about their business.
When listening individuals need to pay attention and pay close attention to what the other
person is saying by remembering it is a common mistake we all make by hearing but not really
listening. Some ways to develop better listening skills is to first decide to be a better listener.
Effective listening skills need to be practiced hearing is a physical process of hearing sound and
listening is intellectual process a skill of attention. Hearing is probably one of the most
important human senses we have and even works while we are sleeping studies show that
conscious thought takes place at about the same rate as visual recognition requiring a significant
fraction of a second per event (Horowitz). Meaning we hear something before we see it. In the
business world we need to be mindful that we listen as much as we talk, communication goes
both ways so if we fail to listen we may be missing some important clues on helping individuals
develop and be more productive. Listening helps by tuning our brains to the patterns of our
environment faster than any other sense so by paying attention to the non visual parts of our

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world (Horowitz). Luckily we can be trained to listen better it is all up to each of us individually.
To be a better listener it takes practice, attention, concentration effort and the desire. Listening
is so important in the business world that top employers have started offering employees training
in developing better listening skills. It is not surprising when considering good listening skills
create better customer satisfaction, greater productivity, fewer mistakes and better sharing of
information leading to creative and innovative work practices (SkillYouNeed).
In conclusion individuals can learn to listen more effectively by following basic steps of
developing better listening skills. By practicing and developing better listening skills will allow
a person to be successful in their own personal life as well at work and socially by building
relationships with others. The success of a person depends on his or her ability to communicate
and influence others in an efficient and effective way. Listening to someone is much more than
just hearing them. We hear people when they talk but the question is are we really listening to
what they are saying. To become an effective listener we should remember to listen with the
intent of understanding what a person is saying. By developing good effective listening
techniques individuals will build relationships at home and at work, be able to solve problems,
ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, increase accuracy and productivity (Schilling). By
remembering simple techniques such as facing the person speaking, use eye contact, be attentive,
keep an open mind, pay attention, listen and picture in your mind what the speaker is saying,
listen with empathy by trying to feel what the speaker is feeling, do not interrupt, wait until the
speaker has finished speaking before asking questions and offer feedback. The success of a
person depends on his or her ability to communicate and listen effectively by practicing good
listening skills in their day to day lives.

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Works Cited
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Interpersonal Communication". 8th ed. New York. Oxford University Press.
Changing Minds. (2015) "Many Types of Listening". Accessed 2/8/2015. Web.
http://changingminds.org/techniques/listening/all_types_listening.htm. Accessed
2/1/2015
Covey, Stephen R. (2004) "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" New York. Simon &
Schuster, Inc.
Horowitz, Seth S. (2012). "The Science and Art of Listening". Sunday Review. The New York
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Mind Tools. (2015) "Active Listening". Web.
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm. Accessed. 2/1/2015
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Schilling, Dianne. (2012) "10 Steps To Effective Listening." Forbes. Web.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening.
Accessed 1/19/2015
SkillsYouNeed. (2014) "Listening Skills" Web. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listeningskills.html#ixzz3QUZYh7nU. Accessed. 2/1/2015
Wolfe, Lahle. (2015). "Business and Social Etiquette-How to Make Eye Contact". About.com.
Web. http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/businessetiquette/a/making-eye-contact.htm.
Accessed 2/8/2015