Show
Listening is more than having good communication skills. It is about having an attitude, or general spirit, of honoring and seeking another person's perspective and a genuine interest in getting to know them. How we talk to people makes a big difference. Traditionally we focus on content the what of communication. Typically we pay very little attention to how we say things. Yet how we communicate with others is as important, if not more so, as what we are trying to say. How we communicate affects how people feel, and this affects the choices they make. Listening in communication is not about convincing someone to do something or providing the right information. It suggests that we seek to be respectful, that we care for people, and that we desire to form partnerships or collaborative relationships with them. Instead of having the goal be to communicate information, our goal should be to build a relationships. This requires an attitude of honoring each person's perspective and a genuine interest in getting to know people. Fortunately, fairly simple communication strategies can be effective in helping people feel supported, understood, and comfortable in forming a relationship with you. These same simple communication strategies also minimize disagreements which that make the relationship with your client uncomfortable. By maximizing support and minimizing disagreements, we will help get people connected and that connection is what leads to adherence to an exercise program. To get to this place there are two initial key skills:
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.
Features of Effective Listening
What is the importance of listening?Good listening allows us to demonstrate that we are paying attention to the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of the other person (seeing the world through their eyes). This is crucial to maintaining productive relationships, and sometimes the only way to establish communication. What are the types of listening skills? 7 types of listening skills
What is the process of listening? The listening process involves four stages: receiving, understanding, evaluating, and responding. What do u mean by listening?To listen is to give attention to sound or action. When listening, one is hearing what others are saying, and trying to understand what it means. The act of listening involves complex affective, cognitive and behavioral processes. What are six characteristics of a good listener?They hear you out – free of judgment. You’re never afraid to tell them your story – the whole story. They see both sides of the story. They’re not biased because they’re your friend. Know when to step in. A good listener will ask questions when they feel it is necessary. They put themselves in your place. They follow up on their promises. What are the characteristics of being a good listener? One of the most important characteristics of a good listener is having a two-way conversation with the speaker. Asking questions that summarize what the speaker said shows how well you’ve listened. What are the five types of listening skills? The five dominate listening styles are appreciative, empathic, comprehensive, discerning and evaluative. What are good skills for listening?Effective Listening Skills Discover your interests’ field. Grasp and understand the matter/content. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Be open to accept new ideas and information. Jot down and take a note of important points. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
 Comstock Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Good listening skills are essential if you want to maintain successful professional and personal interactions. If you don't listen well, chances are you've experienced some disappointment and frustration in your relationships. Excellent listening means more than simply hearing what's been said. It means paying attention and fully understanding the speaker's point of view. Knowing the characteristics of good listening skills and practicing them can help you improve how you communicate. People listen to get information for work, learning or entertainment. But, surprisingly, most don't listen well. Scott Williams of Wright University, suggests that people only listen to about 25 percent of what they hear. Listening attentively can help you understand people, motivate them and build trust. James Manktelow, CEO of Mindtools, suggests that good listeners build stronger relationships with those around them because speakers appreciate knowing they successfully transmitted their message. It's beneficial to develop a reputation as a good listener because professionally and privately people will gravitate towards you, sharing confidences and seeking your advice. The most basic listening skill is paying attention. This means maintaining focus on what the speaker is saying as well as how it is said. Don't get distracted by other things and don't allow interruptions. For example, when you reply to a text message, you can't pay full attention to the speaker. Keep your eyes and your mind focused on the speaker. Sitting up straight or changing your position can help keep your mind from wandering. Think about what the speaking is saying and why she's saying it. Don't begin formulating a response until you're sure you've fully grasped the intended message. Good listeners make the speaker aware they are listening. Turn toward the speaker, maintain eye contact, smile and nod to indicate your engagement. Don't interrupt, even if it's to add a supportive comment or ask a question, unless the speaker pauses. If you do ask a question or make a comment, don't shift to a new topic, warns Dianne Schilling, in her article, "10 Steps To Effective Listening," on the "Forbes" magazine website. For example, if your spouse is describing the failure of a big business deal she experienced, don't start sharing details about your frustration at work. The best way to connect with the speaker is to demonstrate you heard and understood the message by giving good feedback. Show you understood, not only the message, but what the speaker was feeling. Observing the speaker's nonverbal cues helps. For example, crossing the arms, frowning and raising the voice usually indicate anger. Try reframing what was said. For example, saying, "I know you were disappointed that I arrived so late and you worried about me," shows you were listening and empathize with the speaker's feelings.
Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness and on the quality of your relationships with others. For instance:
Given all the listening that we do, you would think we'd be good at it! In fact, most of us are not, and research suggests that we only remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear, as described by Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers, or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren't hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they're not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you can improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What's more, you'll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Click here to view a transcript of this video.
Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. Understanding your own personal style of communicating will go a long way toward helping you to create good and lasting impressions with others. About Active ListeningThe way to improve your listening skills is to practice "active listening." This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, the complete message being communicated. In order to do this, you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counterarguments while the other person is still speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying.
If you're finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them. This will reinforce their message and help you to stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what they're saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you've ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it's even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it's something you want to avoid.
Acknowledgment can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple "uh huh." You aren't necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening can also help you to pay attention. Try to respond to the speaker in a way that will encourage them to continue speaking, so that you can get the information that you need. While nodding and "uh huhing" says you're interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said also communicates that you are listening and understanding his message.
Be aware that active listening can give others the impression that you agree with them even if you don't. It’s also important to avoid using active listening as a checklist of actions to follow, rather than really listening. It may help to practice Mindful Listening if you find that you lose focus regularly. Becoming an Active ListenerThere are five key active listening techniques you can use to help you become a more effective listener: 1. Pay AttentionGive the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly.
2. Show That You're ListeningUse your own body language and gestures to show that you are engaged.
3. Provide FeedbackOur personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect on what is being said and to ask questions.
If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so. And ask for more information: "I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX. Is that what you meant?" 4. Defer JudgmentInterrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.
5. Respond AppropriatelyActive listening is designed to encourage respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting her down.
InfographicClick on the thumbnail image below to see Active Listening represented in an infographic:
Key Points It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening skills are as bad as many people's are, then you'll need to do a lot of work to break these bad habits. There are five key techniques you can use to develop your active listening skills:
Start using active listening techniques today to become a better communicator, improve your workplace productivity, and develop better relationships. |
What are the characteristics of listening?
Postagens relacionadas
direito autoral © 2024 mesadeestudo Inc.
