Effective Listening

Definition
Art of hearing and understanding
Making sense out of what we hear

Objectives

To learn
To enhance understanding
To advise or counsel
To relax ( delight)

Process / Stages
1. Hearing (concentration)
2. Filtering (judgement)
3. Comprehending (knowledge, experience,
perception, cognitive power)
4. Paraphrasing & Checking accuracy
5. Remembering (storing)
6. Responding ( verbal/nonverbal)

Advantages
Leads to better knowledge
Enables better decisions
Mollifies complainants
Encourages others to air their views
Strengthen relationships
Increases accuracy
Enables innovative solutions

Poor listening
Interrupting
Being selective
Feeling defensive
Listening for a point of disagreement
Criticize delivery/appearance of the speaker
Fake attention
Tolerate or create distractions
Evade the difficult

Types

Discriminative Listening
Informative Listening
Attentive Listening/ Intensive/Academic
Appreciative Listening
Critical Listening/ Analytical
Empathetic Listening / Therapeutic Listening

Barriers
Content : too much, too little, selective
Speaker : delivery, attitude
Medium : distance and environment
Distractions: extraneous
Mind Set: attitudes
Language: ambiguity, misinterpretation
Listening Speed: rate, think time
Feedback : inappropriate, hasty

Strategies
Decide your goals
Be aware of your options
Decide when to speak and when to listen
Plan what to say when you speak focusing and
clarifying
Be Attentive : stop multi-tasking, recap, use body
language

Listening exercise

( CUP-Speaking Effectively)
Track 2
1.1.3

Listen to a short presentation about a

holiday tour company. Its being
delivered to a small group of people
who work for an advertising agency.
(i) How clear do you think the
presentation is in terms of content
and delivery
(ii)Complete the given data sheet

Listening exercise

( CUP-Speaking Effectively)
Track 18
7.1.2

Dealing with Visitors

Balazzo : CEO of Flexipak ( a
Packaging Plant / Factory ) in Vicenza
Williams Visitor
Listen to their conversation and
complete the description of the
company. Listen again and pick out
the expressions used in the contexts
mentioned in the answer sheet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r
IVQRZQ4rkY
4.13
W&H company presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k
N1wgKosS8A
4.01
How to write a business plan