Techniques To Improve Listening

Techniques to improve listening Definition: Listening is a process of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a message received from the speaker. Difference between hearing and listening: Hearing is natural, but listening requires effort. We use the ear for listening but it is really in the mind that the message is perceived. Therefore listening is closely linked with perception and is an intellectual and positive activity. Hearing is passive while listening is active. Hearing which is solely dependent on the ears is a physical act – it is merely the vibration of sound waves on the eardrums followed by the firing of electrochemical impulses in the brain. But the interpretation of sound signals is a cognitive act and depends upon the knowledge of the listener and attitude towards the sender. Importance of listening: Listening is an important skill. Successful communication depends on not only receiving messages but also decoding them correctly. No communication process is complete without listening. According to Richard Hubbell, 98 % of what a man learns in his lifetime is learnt through his ears and eyes. Several studies have indicated that business people spend almost 45% of their working time in listening. Tom Peters asserts that listening is an essential management and leadership skill. Effective listening is extremely important for students as they spend most of their time listening to lectures. For professionals, the higher the position, the greater the listening responsibility. In some companies, the listening index of recruits may be measured before recruitment. It is important to listen carefully to the instructions of one’s superiors at the workplace. You can also gauge the morale and enthusiasm of coworkers and subordinates by listening closely to them. On a personal level, a person who listens and pays attention is rated as highly popular and socially compatible. Types of listening: Egan Gerard: You do not listen just with your ears, you listen with your eyes and with your sense of touch, you listen by becoming aware of the feelings and emotions that arise within yourself because of this contact with others. You listen with your mind, your heart, your imagination. 1. Appreciative: When we watch a comedian, musician or entertainer. 2. Empathetic: When we console a distressed friend or when a psychiatrist listens to a patient. 3. Comprehensive: When we listen to a lecture, a speech or when we listen to instructions and directions. 4. Critical: When the purpose is to accept or reject the message as when we listen to a salesperson, politician or a candidate in an interview.

Good listening habits: 1. Pay attention: Exercise mental discipline and concentrate; resist distractions. Be aware of ‘brain time.’ Focus on what the speaker has just said or try to surmise what he will say next. Listen to radio commentaries and programmes and jot down points trying to remember as much of the message as possible. 2. Focus on the speaker in a generous way: Do not look for flaws in the speaker; focus on the substance of the talk. Good listeners realize that not all people are polished speakers, but they nevertheless have something to say. Do not indicate through your behaviour what you think of the speaker. Be as non-evaluative as possible. 3. Paraphrase the speaker’s message: If you wish to clarify a point, simply paraphrase what the speaker has said and enquire from the speaker whether you have heard it accurately. (“So you mean to say that…” or “as I gather, you want to tell me….” ) 4. Avoid making assumptions: Keep an open mind. If you decide in advance that a subject is too difficult for you to understand, you will switch off your listening ability. Faulty listening also leads to errors. Be sure to clarify instructions by asking questions. 5. Listen for feelings as well as for hidden facts: Concentrate on what is being said as well as how it is being said. Pay attention to body language, as it is involuntary and therefore more truthful. Always listen ‘between the lines.’ 6. Invite further contribution and respond non-verbally: Ask questions to prompt the speaker to give you more information. “What happened next?” “What did you say?” (But be sure not to overdo this- you may sound intimidating or insincere.) Communicate your interest through non-verbal signals- through consistent eye contact with the body leaning slightly towards the speaker, through head nods, with vocal signals like O.K or uh-hum (without overdoing these, too). Benefits of active listening: 1. Enables managers to feel the pulse of the organization, to anticipate the moods and reactions of the workers to the policies of the management, to track rumours and monitor grapevine. 2. Improves relations with people. 3. Obtains suggestions and new ideas. 4. Enables managers to help solve problems and resolve conflict.