LISTENING & TELEPHONE SKILLS

By: SOFT SKILLS WORLD

Effective Listening

“Effective listening is a preventive tool to avoid confusion and

Disputes”

Levels of Listening

Barriers to Listening

Hearing emotional noise

Experiencing information overload

Hearing external noise

Experiencing physical difficulty

Jumping to conclusion

5 basic reasons we do not listen• Listening is hard work• Competition• The rush for action• Speed differences in the rate of speaking and understanding.• Lack of training

L-i-s-t-e-n

Active Listening

Pay attention.Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message. Recognize that what is not said also speaks loudly.

• Look at the speaker directly. • Put aside distracting thoughts. Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! • Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. • “Listen” to the speaker’s body language.

Show that you are listening.Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.

• Nod occasionally. • Smile and use other facial expressions. • Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. • Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes,

and uh huh.

Active ListeningProvide feedback.

Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is…” and “Sounds like you are saying…” are great ways to reflect back.

– Ask questions to clarify certain points. “What do you mean when you say…” “Is this what you mean?”

– Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. Defer judgment.

Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

• Allow the speaker to finish. • Don’t interrupt with counter-arguments

Respond Appropriately.Active listening is a model for respect and understanding.

You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. • Be candid, open, and honest in your response. • Assert your opinions respectfully. • Treat the other person as he or she • would want to be treated.

“First understand &

then be understood”

Listen not only to words

but to the meanings behind the words

Stephen Covey

If I listen first to

understand

Then

I will be better understood

Paul Rankin's research: 70% of our waking time is spent in communicating

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AD

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WR

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45%

16%9%

30%

0%

10%20%

30%40%

50%

4 Types of listeners

• The Non-Listener HEARING

• The Marginal Listener V/s

• The Evaluative Listener

• The Active Listener LISTENING

• Restating

• Paraphrasing

• Summarizing

Techniques of Listening

• Restating involves repeating back either words or short phrases which the other person has used

• It is an efficient way of confirming what you have understood.

• Sometimes, it can be verbatim

Restating

Is this a right Restating

• Paraphrasing is the skill of rephrasing what you understand to be the core message of the sender’s communication including the feelings

• It is an effective way of letting the person know that you understand his/her concerns from his/her point of view

Paraphrasing

How to improve your listening skills?

• Maintain eye contact with the instructor• Focus on content than on the way that it is being said.• Avoid selective listening• Avoid distractions• Ask questions to stay active and interested.• Face the speaker• Maintain eye contact• Respond appropriately – say yes, nod, etc.• Do not be preoccupied with your own thoughts.

To Be A Good Listener

Rule 1: Stop talkingRule 2: ---------Rule 3: ---------Rule 4: --------- Rule 5: ---------Rule 6: ---------Rule 7: ---------Rule 8: ---------Rule 9: ---------Rule 10: Stop talking

• Summaries are essentially longer paraphrases. Using them enables you to bring together salient aspects of the session in an organized way.

• The main aims for using this skill are:

To clarify contents & feelings To review the meeting To end a session To begin a further session. To prioritize & focus

Summarizing