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    Strategies For Effective Listening

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    Umar Suleman
    This document provides 10 steps for effective listening: 1) Make eye contact and avoid distractions; 2) Pay attention in a relaxed manner; 3) Keep an open mind without judgment; 4) Picture what is being said and focus on key details; 5) Don't interrupt and don't impose solutions; 6) Wait for pauses to ask clarifying questions; 7) Only ask questions to ensure understanding of the topic; 8) Try to understand the speaker's feelings; 9) Provide feedback to show understanding; 10) Pay attention to nonverbal cues and what isn't said.

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    Strategies For Effective Listening

    Uploaded by

    Umar Suleman
    2K views3 pages
    This document provides 10 steps for effective listening: 1) Make eye contact and avoid distractions; 2) Pay attention in a relaxed manner; 3) Keep an open mind without judgment; 4) Picture what is being said and focus on key details; 5) Don't interrupt and don't impose solutions; 6) Wait for pauses to ask clarifying questions; 7) Only ask questions to ensure understanding of the topic; 8) Try to understand the speaker's feelings; 9) Provide feedback to show understanding; 10) Pay attention to nonverbal cues and what isn't said.

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    Strategies for Effective Listening

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    This document provides 10 steps for effective listening: 1) Make eye contact and avoid distractions; 2) Pay attention in a relaxed manner; 3) Keep an open mind without judgment; 4) Picture what is being said and focus on key details; 5) Don't interrupt and don't impose solutions; 6) Wait for pauses to ask clarifying questions; 7) Only ask questions to ensure understanding of the topic; 8) Try to understand the speaker's feelings; 9) Provide feedback to show understanding; 10) Pay attention to nonverbal cues and what isn't said.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2K views3 pages

    Strategies For Effective Listening

    Uploaded by

    Umar Suleman
    This document provides 10 steps for effective listening: 1) Make eye contact and avoid distractions; 2) Pay attention in a relaxed manner; 3) Keep an open mind without judgment; 4) Picture what is being said and focus on key details; 5) Don't interrupt and don't impose solutions; 6) Wait for pauses to ask clarifying questions; 7) Only ask questions to ensure understanding of the topic; 8) Try to understand the speaker's feelings; 9) Provide feedback to show understanding; 10) Pay attention to nonverbal cues and what isn't said.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    The key takeaways are to focus on the speaker, avoid distractions and judgements, ask clarifying questions only after the speaker pauses, and pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues.

    The steps for effective listening are to make eye contact, be attentive yet relaxed, keep an open mind, picture what is being said, don't interrupt, wait for pauses to ask questions, ask questions only to clarify understanding, reflect the speaker's feelings, and provide regular feedback.

    When listening you should avoid interrupting, imposing your own solutions, asking questions that shift the topic, and not paying attention to what isn't said through nonverbal cues.

    Strategies For Effective Listening

    In todays high-tech, high-speed, high-stress world, communication is more important than ever, yet we seem to devote less and less time to really listening to one another. Genuine listening has become a rare giftthe gift of time. It helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and improve accuracy. Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact Eye contact is considered a basic ingredient of effective communication. When we talk, we look each other in the eye. That doesnt mean that you cant 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. Put aside papers, books, the phone and other distractions. Look at them, even if they dont 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 you. Step 2: Be attentive, but relaxed Now that youve made eye contact, relax. You dont 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. The dictionary says that to attend another person means to:

    be present give attention apply or direct yourself pay attention remain ready to serve

    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 dont say to yourself, Well, that was a stupid move. As soon as you indulge in judgmental bemusements, youve compromised your effectiveness as a listener.

    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. 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: Dont interrupt and dont impose your solutions. Interrupting sends a variety of messages. It says:

    Im more important than you are. What I have to say is more interesting, accurate or relevant. I dont really care what you think. I dont have time for your opinion. This isnt a conversation, its a contest, and Im going to win.

    We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick thinker and an agile talker, the burden is on-you-to relax your pace for the slower, more thoughtful communicatoror for the guy who has trouble expressing himself. Step 6: Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions When you dont 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 didnt 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 havent 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. 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 dont.

    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 fearsand convey those feelings through your facial expressions and wordsthen your effectiveness as a listener is assured. Empathy is the heart and soul of good listening. Step 9: Give the speaker regular feedback Show that you understand where the speaker is coming from by reflecting the speakers feelings. You must be thrilled! What a terrible ordeal for you. I can see that you are confused. If the speakers 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 10: Pay attention to what isnt saidto 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 doesnt matter what we chat about, if I hear a lilt and laughter in her voice, I feel reassured that shes doing well.

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