graduate attributes: communication listening. food for thought ‘talking is power’ ‘listening...
TRANSCRIPT
Food for thought
•‘Talking is power’•‘Listening is caring’ •‘I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.’- Ernest Hemingway
By the end of this session we will have…
• Tried to define what effective listening means and reflected on different ways effective listening can help us now and after we graduate
• Discussed how (or whether!) the wider context impacts on our ability to listen
• Identified and discussed potential barriers to listening (’listening killers’),
• Identified personal objectives for the development of listening skill as part of our Graduate Attributes development
Listening: what is it?
• Working in pairs or small groups, try to define what listening is
• Why is effective listening an important skill for a university student AND a graduate? In small groups, think of at least 6 reasons. You may refer to the university experience as a whole and your specific discipline
• Put your ideas into the inner circle of your ‘listening model’ sheet
Some definitions:
• To listen: “Give one’s attention to a sound: take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request; (listen for or listen out for) make an effort to hear something; be alert and ready to hear something” (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/listen)
• ‘a process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages” (Bentley and Bacon 1996, p.1, definition accepted by the International Listening Association)
• What is the difference between listening and hearing?
The wider context
• Think of the context of the world we live in (our personal life, work, study): how do we communicate, what are the main issues, challenges?
• Working in a small group (preferably 4), fill the outer circle with key words and phrases that describe this context
Your own experience
• Think of a situation when you were truly listened to. How did you feel? How did you know you were listened to?
• Think of an opposite situation: you were not listened to. How did you feel? How could you tell?
• What could have been done to improve this situation?
Levels of listening
• How can our listening evolve and become deeper? Briefly discussing in pairs, try to identify and jot down listening ‘levels’ from the most ‘surface’ one to a ‘deep’ one
• Compare and discuss your ideas with the pair sitting closest to you
Barriers to listening or listening ‘killers’
• What are the potential barriers to effective listening?
• What are ‘filters’?
When listening, have you ever been…
• A mind reader?• A rehearser?• A filterer?• A dreamer?• An identifier?• A comparer?• Other?...
What have I learned?
1. Look back at your initial expectations2. How will you apply the learning from this session? (academic study, work/career, social/community engagement?)3. What else would you like to learn or/and know?
Useful links
• Julian Treasure, 5 ways to listen better, speaking at TED conference, Edinburgh, Scotland:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSohjlYQI2A
• Listening and interpersonal skills tutorialhttp://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/working-with-others/listening-and-
interpersonal-skills/listening-and-interpersonal-skills-tutorial/