1. EFFECTIVE LISTENING
DR. Angelo Smith M.D
WHPL

3. What is Listening?
• listening (ILA, 1996): the process of
receiving, constructing meaning from,
and responding to spoken and/or
nonverbal messages; to hear something
with thoughtful attention
• Effective communication is 2-way
– depends on speaking and listening

4. Listening vs. Hearing
• Hearing- physical process; natural; passive
• Listening- physical & mental process; active;
learned process; a skill
• Listening is hard!
You must choose to participate in
the process of listening.

6. Fast Facts
• We listen at 125-250 wpm, think at 1000-3000
wpm
• 75% of the time we are distracted, preoccupied
or forgetful
• 20% of the time, we remember what we hear
• More than 35% of businesses think listening is a
top skill for success
• Less than 2% of people have had formal
education with listening

8. Percentage of Communication
Mode of
Communication
Formal Years
of Training
Percentage of
Time Used
Writing 12 years 9%
Reading 6-8 years 16 %
Speaking 1-2 years 30%
Listening 0-few hours 45%

9. Indicators of Poor Listening in an employee
• Receiving an above normal amount of
written communication.
• Feeling left out of important projects.
•Missing Important meetings.
• Reacting to problems rather than
preventing problems.
•Being perceived as slow or inept.
•Being manipulated easily by others.

10. Why Be A Good Listener?
Needs of the Customer…
• To be recognized and remembered
• To feel valued
• To feel appreciated
• To feel respected
• To feel understood
• To feel comfortable about a want or need
• To be involved in the decision making process.
• To develop a Positive attitude towards the
product / service
• To feel is a part of

11. As an employee ?
• most significant for entry-level positions
• most important for promotion to upper management
• most observed in successful CEOs and upper managers
• most critical in distinguishing effective from ineffective
subordinates
• most critical for managerial competency
• most needed for improvement in communication
• most important for career competence
• most important for organizational success

12. Listening is the most powerful
form of acknowledgment
…a way of saying, “You are
important.”

13. Listening builds stronger relationships
…creates a desire to cooperate among
people because they feel accepted and
acknowledged.

14. Listening promotes being heard
…”Seek first to understand, then
be understood.”
- Stephen Covey

15. Listening creates acceptance and
openness
…conveys the message that “I am
not judging you.”

16. Listening leads to learning
…openness encourages personal
growth and learning

17. Listening reduces stress and
tension
…minimizes confusion and
misunderstanding, eliminating
related stress and tension

18. Listening is CRITICAL in conflict
resolution
…much conflict comes from the
need to be heard. Successful
resolution depends on being a non-anxious
presence.

21. Barriers to Listening
• Equate With
Hearing
• Uninteresting
Topics
• Speaker’s Delivery
• External
Distractions
• Mentally Preparing
Response
• Listening for Facts
• Personal
Concerns
• Personal Bias
• Language/Culture
Differences
• Faking Attention

22. Bad Listening
Habits
• Criticizing the subject or the
speaker
• Getting over-stimulated
• Listening only for facts
• Not taking notes OR outlining
everything
• Tolerating or creating distraction
• Letting emotional words block
message
• Wasting time difference
between speed of speech and
speed of thought

24. Mental Distractions

26. Nonverbal Communication
• 10% =
• 55% =
• 35% =
• 10% is Content; 90% is Intent
Module 3 3–18

28. Active Listening
• … Allows you to make sure you hear the
words and understand the meaning behind
the words
• Goal: go beyond listening to understanding

29. Step 1: Listen
• To Feelings As Well As Words
–Words – Emotions -- Implications
• Focus on Speaker
– Don’t plan, speak, or get distracted
• What Is Speaker Talking About?
– Topic? Speaker? Listener? Others?
• Look At Speaker
• Use Verbal & Non-Verbal Encouragers

30. Step 2: Question
• 3 Purposes
– Demonstrates you are listening
– Gather information
– Clarification
• Open-ended
– Tell me more?
– How did you feel?
– Then what happened?

31. Step 3: Reflect-Paraphrase
• Reflect What Is Said (In your words)
• Reflect Feelings
• Reframe
– Capture the essence of the
communication
–Remove negative framing
–Move toward problem solving

32. Step 4: Agree
• Get Speaker’s Consent to Your Reframing
• Speaker Has Been Heard and Knows It!
• Solution Is Near!

38. 7 Ways to Improve Your Listening
• Here are 7 strategies and suggestions to help
you improve your listening skills.
–1.) Increase your listening span:
• Try to resist the temptation to interrupt.
• Make sure the speaker has had a complete chance to
make his or her point before you speak.
• If you don't get the whole message, ask the speaker to
repeat what they said.

39. •2.) Take time to listen:
–Don't put obvious limitations on your
listening time - the speaker will feel
rushed.
•3.) Listen between the lines:
–Don't just listen to what is being said.
– Try to understand the attitudes, needs
and motives behind the words.

40. • 4.) Give your full attention:
– Nodding or interjecting occasionally to
clarify a point lets the speaker know you are
interested.
– If the speaker pauses briefly, don't rush to
fill the silence.
– Use open-ended questions to encourage
elaboration.

41. •5.) Restate the message:
–When you are sure that the speaker
has finished, restate the main points.
– This is a good organizing strategy for
you.
– It also gives the speaker assurance
that the message has been received.

42. • 6.) Listen for ideas as well as facts:
– A good listener makes an effort to
understand what the facts add up to.
• 7.) Don't monopolize:
– Resist the urge to dominate a situation or to
feel that you know everything about a
situation.
– Be open to new ideas and allow the speaker
to have his or her say.

43. Listening Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary list. Look them up on the internet. Read the following definitions, and place the
letter of the correct word on the line in front of the definition.
A hearing F evaluating
B listening G eye contact
C hearing impairment H body language
D passive listening I pitch
E active listening J monotone
1. _____ A physical condition that limits a person’s ability to hear sounds.
2. _____ Listening in which the listener responds by concentrating on the
speaker’s words. The listener may ask questions of the speaker.
3. _____ Movements and actions such as hand gestures and body posture.
4. _____ An unchanging voice, expressing no emotion or interest.
5. _____ The physical ability to perceive sound.
6. _____ The process of interpreting and judging the speaker’s message in order to
decide how to respond.
7. _____ Listening with little or no response to the speaker.
8. _____ How high or low the speaker’s voice is.
9. _____ Looking directly at the speaker while he is talking.
10._____ The process of hearing a speaker’s words and understanding the
speaker’s message.

44. Listening Vocabulary - KEY
1. __C___ A physical condition that limits a person’s ability to hear sounds.
2. __E___ Listening in which the listener responds by concentrating on the
speaker’s words. The listener may ask questions of the speaker.
3. __H___ Movements and actions such as hand gestures and body posture.
4. __J___ An unchanging voice, expressing no emotion or interest.
5. __A___ The physical ability to perceive sound.
6. __F___ The process of interpreting and judging the speaker’s message in
order to
decide how to respond.
7. __D___ Listening with little or no response to the speaker.
8. __ I ___ How high or low the speaker’s voice is.
9. __G___ Looking directly at the speaker while he is talking.
10.__B___ The process of hearing a speaker’s words and understanding the
speaker’s message.

45. Gender Barriers
How accurate are you in determining gender differences? Directions: For each
question, write “M” if you think the answer is men; write “W” if you think it is
women; write “S” if you think it is the same for both men and women.
___1. In office discussions, who usually talks more often?
___2. Who is better at interpreting nonverbal cues while listening?
___3. When speaking to others, who tends to attach more tag
questions (such as “Don’t you agree?” and “Right?”) to
statements?
___4. Who is more likely to view a conversation in a competitive
rather than cooperative manner?
___5. In office discussions, who usually works harder to keep the
conversation going?
___6. During a conversation, who tends to interrupt more often?
___7. While listening, who is less likely to ask questions, especially
if asking will reveal a lack of knowledge?
___8. Whom do colleagues consider the better listener?
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