Effective Listening Skills

By Muhammad Rizwan
Report submitted to the faculty of PIEAS in partial fulfillment of requirements
for the course of Technical English
Department of BCIS Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Nilore,
Islamabad, Pakistan.
April 2008

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iii
Department of BCIS,
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) Nilore. Islamabad
45650, Pakistan
Declaration of Originality
I hereby declare that the work contained in this report and the intellectual con
tent of this report are the product of my own work. This report has not been pre
viously published in any form nor does it contain any verbatim of the published
resources which could be treated as infringement of the international copyright
law. I also declare that I do understand the terms copyright and plagiarism, and tha
t in case of any copyright violation or plagiarism found in this work, I will be
held fully responsible of the consequences of any such violation.
Signature: _______________________________
Name: Muhammad Rizwan
Date: April 11, 2008
Place: ______________

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Acknowledgement
First, I m very grateful to Allah Almighty Who is the source of all knowledge an
d wisdom, granted me ability to do this work. I am thankful to my teacher Dr. Ta
riq Majeed who guided and helped me a lot. I am thankful to all those persons, w
ho helped me in this work.
Muhammad Rizwan BS(CIS)2nd sem.

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Table of Contents
1 Introduction to Effective Listening ..........................................
.................................1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Definition ..................
................................................................................
........1 Why it is important? .................................................
.........................................1 Different Phases of Communication ...
...............................................................2 Attributes of E
ffective Listening .............................................................
...........2 Critical Attributes ...............................................
........................................2
1.4.1
1.4.1.1 Receiving ..............................................................
..................................2 1.4.1.2 Attending ..........................
......................................................................2 1.4.1.3
Understanding ..................................................................
.......................2 1.4.2 Variable Attributes .............................
........................................................2
1.4.2.1 Responding .............................................................
................................3 1.4.2.2 Remembering ..........................
...............................................................3 1.5 Importance
of Effective Listening .........................................................
.............3 Importance of Listening in Everyday Life ........................
...........................3 Importance of Listening in Organizational or Profes
sional Life ..................3 Importance of Listening in Non-verbal Communicat
ion .............................4
1.5.1 1.5.2 1.5.3 2
Benefits of Effective Listening ................................................
.................................4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Listening is Info
rmative ........................................................................
.............4 Listening can Solve Many Problems ...............................
...................................5 Respect ...................................
...........................................................................5 Lis
tening can Heal ................................................................
.............................5 Enhances Relationships ..........................
...........................................................5 Good Listener is a
Good Speaker ...................................................................
....5 Good Listeners are Successful Employees ..................................
.......................5
3 4
Active Listening is an Art .....................................................
...................................6 Barriers in Effective Listening ...........
......................................................................6 4.1 Phys
ical Barriers ..................................................................
.............................6

vi 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 5 Outside Distractions ..........................
................................................................7 Tiredness ....
................................................................................
.......................7 Boredom................................................
............................................................7 Information Overlo
ad .............................................................................
...........7 Prejudice or Perception about the Speaker .........................
................................7 Differences between Speech Rate and Thought Ra
te..........................................8 Language or Cultural Differences .
.....................................................................8
How to develop listening skills? ...............................................
................................8 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Active Silence
...............................................................................
....................8 Summarize ................................................
........................................................8 Avoid Distractions ...
................................................................................
..........8 Nonverbal Ways .....................................................
...........................................8 Stay Calm .........................
................................................................................
.9 Schedule Appropriately ......................................................
...............................9 Be Patient ....................................
......................................................................9 Wait You
r Turn .........................................................................
........................9
6 7 8
Characteristics of a good listener .............................................
.................................9 Summary and Conclusion ......................
................................................................ 10 References .
................................................................................
............................ 11

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List of Figures
Figure 1 : Phases of communication .............................................
...................................1 Figure 2 : Team work ......................
................................................................................
3 Figure 3 : Informative listening .............................................
...........................................4 Figure 4 : Listening for employees
................................................................................
...6 Figure 5 : Tiredness ......................................................
...................................................7

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Executive Summary
Communication is of extreme importance in our life. In addition to speaking, lis
tening is also an important phase of communication. Listening means to hear the
words only but effective listening means to understand completely what is being
said. Two attributes related to listening are critical and variable attributes.
Critical attributes include receiving, attending and understanding while variabl
e attributes include responding and remembering. Listening is very important bot
h in our common life as well as in professional life. A good listener understand
s verbal language as well as understands the body language of the speaker. Other
wise listening cannot be effective. Besides some barriers to effective listening
are also discussed in this report.

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1 Introduction to Effective Listening
You may hear the words people say, but do you understand what they are trying to
SAY? Therefore, we define effective listening.
1.1 Definition
Listening is a process of receiving, attending and understanding the auditory mes
sages.
Listening process continues throughout the life of a person. Every person is lis
tening something every time but this ordinary listening may not be effective lis
tening because person might be hearing what is being said but not understanding
it. These are the stages involved in the process of listening.
1.2 Why it is important?
Listening is the most important part of communication.
ation skill, which we use most and study least.

Listening is the communic

Effective communication exists between two people when the receiver interprets an
d understands the senders message in the way the speaker intended it. [1]
Figure 1 : Phases of communication
Some people differentiate listening from hearing as the hearing is with senses b
ut listening is with mind but some people say that both are same, there is no ma
jor difference between listening and hearing.
Listening has very mush importance
in a workplace.

2 Management is not possible without good listening skills Teamwork is based upo
n good communication skills
1.3 Different Phases of Communication
Listening
Speaking Reading
Writing
In the above priority list, listening comes first. Listening is the most basic p
hase of communication. Without listening, you cannot even speak because a child
learns speaking only through his listening. So to communicate effectively make y
our listening effective.
1.4 Attributes of Effective Listening
Following are the attributes of listening.
1.4.1 Critical Attributes
Critical attributes are the most essential attributes of the listening. Listenin
g cannot be defined without these attributes. 1.4.1.1 Receiving
First stage of listening is reception i.e. listener hears what the other person
is saying. Listener just tries to translate or decode the message conveyed by th
e sender. 1.4.1.2 Attending
After decoding the message listener pays attention (may be little or more) to wh
at the other person has said. 1.4.1.3 Understanding
The next and the most important step in listening process is the understanding t
he true message of the speaker. Without better understanding, listening cannot b
e called effective.
1.4.2 Variable Attributes
Variable attributes are those attributes that are not as such the part of listen
ing. However, they have their own importance in listening process.

3 There are two types of variable attributes. 1.4.2.1 Responding

Response to a certain stimulus is important. Actually, in communication process
the speaker gives some stimuli to the listener, response to these stimuli vary f
rom person to person according to his understanding ability. Different persons g
ive different response to the same stimulus. 1.4.2.2 Remembering
After listening something, it may or may not be important to remember it. It dep
ends upon the situation and message. For example to remember a certain message m
ay be important for a person but at the same time this may not have any importan
ce for another person that is why we say that remembering the certain message is
variable attribute of listening.
1.5 Importance of Effective Listening
We all are well familiar with the importance of listening in our life. It is as
much important in organizational or professional life as it is in every day life
.
1.5.1 Importance of Listening in Everyday Life
Listening is the most important part of the communication process. You can never
have good communication skills if your listening skills are not excellent. In e
very aspect of life we have to communicate with others, we have to listen to the
m so we must develop our listening skills to spend a successful life. In some si
tuations, listening is a demonstration of our patience.
1.5.2 Importance of Listening in Organizational or Professional Life
Listening is the thing that makes the teamwork to be possible.
Figure 2 : Team work

4 A team is the best demonstration of the importance of listening, every team me

mbers has to be a good listener to do his jobs effectively. Because if a team me
mber is not a good listener then he may not work according to the instruction gi
ven by the head or supervisor of the team. Hence weather you are a head of an or
ganization or a worker of any rank you have to be a good listener to do your job
efficiently because you have to listen to many things at every stage. Good lead
ers and supervisors are mostly good listeners.
1.5.3 Importance of Listening in Non-verbal Communication
In non-verbal communication, listening is as much important as in the verbal com
munication. A good listener not only hears the words but also understands the bo
dy language of the speakers. There are always some things that cannot be describ
ed in the form of words but can be shown only through actions, so a good listene
r understands all these things.
2 Benefits of Effective Listening
Once you have developed effective listening skills, you may find others increasi
ng their trust in you. Not only do effective listening skills improve your leade
rship ability, they improve your interpersonal relationships as well.
2.1 Listening is Informative
Figure 3 : Informative listening
If you listen, you will always gain something and it will increase your knowledg
e. Learning through listening is more effective than through reading or some oth
er means. Listening makes a man critical and rational.

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2.2 Listening can Solve Many Problems
In our life we face many problems some of them may be serious but mostly problem
s arise due to some sort of ambiguity or misunderstanding. Such kind of problems
can only be solved through good listening. Only listening can remove ambiguity.
2.3 Respect
Active listening make a person (speaker) realize that how much importance he hav
e for the listeners and how much respect he has in front of them. The friends who
listen to us are the ones we move toward, and we want to sit in their radius. (K
arl Menninger)
2.4 Listening can Heal
Active listening can heal the gloomy hearts. We can make a person satisfied and
a little bit happy through our listening skills. When we listen attentively to a
person, who is disappointed or sorrowful then it can heal his heart and grants
him trust and satisfaction.
2.5 Enhances Relationships
Listening plays an important role to strengthen the relationships. Active listen
ing between two people makes their relationship strong and trustworthy.
2.6 Good Listener is a Good Speaker
Listening makes a person good speaker. In other words, we can say that to be a g
ood speaker one has to be a good listener first. It is a common observation that
a person who is not a good listener can never express his ideas effectively.
2.7 Good Listeners are Successful Employees
In a workplace those employee are successful who are good listener due to the fo
llowing reasons.

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Figure 4 : Listening for employees
Someone who listens well easily establishes rapport with others. Good listeners
attract others because they focus on the speaker completely. They have a positiv
e energy that makes you want to be in their company. They are effective in their
jobs because, by listening and asking the appropriate questions, they know exac
tly what needs to be done and how to do it.
3 Active Listening is an Art
Most humans, unless impaired in some way, can hear fairly well. Fewer, however,
really know how to listen. Listening describes a more active phase of hearing. G
ood communication and understanding are made possible by active listening. Activ
e listening is both an art and a skill. It is something to be appreciated, but i
t does not come without some practice. [2]
4 Barriers in Effective Listening
Barriers are those factors, which affect the listening process. There are many b
arriers in effective listening process some of them are described below:
4.1 Physical Barriers
There are several physical barriers that concern with the listener. For example,
listener hears loud, depressed or disturbed, confused or uncomfortable etc. all
are the barriers in effective listening.

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4.2 Outside Distractions
There may be some physical distractions, which may hinder in effective listening
. For example temperature, noise of door etc., distance from the speaker, are en
vironmental barriers to effective listening.
4.3 Tiredness
Figure 5 : Tiredness
Tiredness can also be one of the barriers to the active listening. If a person i
s tired then he/she may not be able to pay full attention to the speaker. As a r
esult, he may not listen effectively.
4.4 Boredom
If the listener is feeling bore it means that either he has no interest in what
the speaker is saying or speaker is not relevant to the topic. As a result, list
ening process may not remain effective.
4.5 Information Overload
If the listener already knows, much about what is being said then he may not pay
attention to the speaker and hence it will affect the listening process.
4.6 Prejudice or Perception about the Speaker
In listening process, perception of the listener about the speaker may also be a
barrier. For example if a listener has a bad perception map about the speaker o
r does not like him then he may not want to listen to him.

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4.7 Differences between Speech Rate and Thought Rate
There is the barrier created by the fact that a listener can think much more qui
ckly than the other person can talk. It has been suggested that we think at 1,00
0-3,000 words per minute but listen at 125-400 words per minute, so boredom and
impatience come quickly. This results in another barrier which is that the liste
ner not only has the speakers voice with which to contend, but also has an intern
al voice that keeps up a simultaneous dialog of critiquing, analyzing, and judgi
ng what is being heard [3].
4.8 Language or Cultural Differences
Cultural differences between two persons may affect the listening process betwee
n them. They may not be able to understand each other due to their different lan
guages or due to poor vocabulary.
5 How to develop listening skills?
Since most of us are not born with effective listening skills, following tips ma
y help you become a better listener:
5.1 Active Silence
When you are listening, speak only when you need clarification or to summarize w
hat you have heard. Do not be afraid of silence!
5.2 Summarize
It is a good idea to summarize, in your own words, what the speaker has told you
. This allows you to ensure you have heard everything correctly and shows the sp
eaker you are truly listening.
5.3 Avoid Distractions
Let your speaker know that he or she is your main focus. In addition, do not be
affected by distractions.
5.4 Nonverbal Ways
The way you present yourself often determines what or how much your speaker will
tell you. If your nonverbal cues relay the message that you are uninterested or
bored, your

9 speaker will notice that. The following nonverbal cues will help communicate t
hat you are listening effectively:
Maintain eye contact
Keep your posture open a
nd relaxed (avoid crossing your arms) Avoid looking at your watch
Nod and smile
let your speaker know you are still listening
5.5 Stay Calm
If your speaker is using highly emotional words or becoming visibly upset, remai
n calm. If you allow yourself to become over-stimulated by what is being said, y
ou will not be able to focus on the main point [4].
5.6 Schedule Appropriately
Schedule important meetings or conversations for times when you are least likely
to be tired, interrupted, or distracted.
5.7 Be Patient
Do not form opinions or make decisions until the speaker is finished. Give the s
peaker a chance to elaborate or correct a mistake wait a moment before speaking.
5.8 Wait Your Turn
Do not interrupt to correct the speaker, finish the speakers sentence, or change.
6 Characteristics of a good listener
Following are some characteristics of a good listener. A good listener,
Stays wi
th the speaker, mentally summarizes the speaker, weighs evidence, and listens be
tween the lines. Listens for central or overall ideas
Listens for any useful inf
ormation Assesses content by listening to entire message before making judgments
Withholds judgment until comprehension is complete
Gives the speaker full atten
tion

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Fights distractions and concentrates on the speaker
Listens to both favorable
and unfavorable information Treats complex presentations as exercises for the m
ind Interprets the speakers words
Evaluates their meaning
Responds effectively
cuses on the substance of what is being said, not its delivery Looks for what ca
n be learned that is new Paraphrases the content when appropriate
Asks for infor
mation and clarification Pays attention to the non-verbal as well as verbal mess
ages
7 Summary and Conclusion
Main conclusion from the above discussion is that whether we are in an organizat
ion or not we have to be a good listener because without having good listening s
kills a person cannot succeed in life at every stage or step we concern with lis
tening. Listening is important not only in a workplace but also in our common li
fe. Listening helps us a lot in many aspects of life. If one wants to be effecti
ve in his or her job then he/she must improve his/her listening skills first the
n he/she will be a successful employee. Although there are many barriers in effe
ctive listening but we must overcome them to be a good listener. There are many
techniques, which may help us in becoming a good listener. We must remember that
a good listener is a successful person. All of us are well familiar with the im
portance of communication in our life. Communication is the process of sending a
nd receiving messages. Speaking is considered a very important part of communica
tion but listening is also very much important because in communication process
listening is the basic phase of communication. Listening means to hear the words
only but effective listening means to understand completely what is being said.
There are two types of attributes related to listening, critical attributes and
variable attributes. Critical attributes are those without which

Fo

11 listening cannot be defined while variable attributes are those, which vary p
erson to person. Critical attributes include receiving, attending and understand
ing while variable attributes include responding and remembering. Listening is v
ery important in our common life as well as in professional life. To be a good e
mployee one has to be a good listener first, because at every step an employee h
as to listen to many things like instructions from his or her supervisor or boss
. Teamwork is more effective if the members of the team are good listeners. When
we talk about listening in non-verbal communication then we come to know that e
ffective listening is only possible when a listener understands verbal language
as well as understands the body language of the speaker. Otherwise listening can
not be effective. There are many barriers in effective listening like physical d
istraction, mental disturbance of the listener, language or cultural differences
, prejudice and emotions etc. Hence, for a good listener it is essential to over
come all these barriers. A good listener pays full attention to the speaker and
also uses non-verbal cues to ensure that the speaker is being listened carefully
. A good listener always learns by listening and tends to listen to the new idea
s and informative
8 References
[1]. Irene Elizarraraz & Tamara Gatewood, Effective Listening Skills, John J. Held
rich Center for Workforce Development, 2004. URL: http://www.eastbayworks.org/up
load/files/00017500044Effective_Listening_PPP-2.ppt
[2]. Self-Help Network Center for Community Support and Research Fairmount Colle
ge of Liberal Arts and Sciences / Wichita State University, Department of Psycho
logy, 2005 URL: http://www.selfhelpnetwork.wichita.edu

12 [3]. Janczewski, L. (2001). Communication Skills for Information Systems Stude

nts, Proceedings of the 2001 Informing Science Conference, Krakow, Poland. URL: h
ttp://ecommerce.lebow.drexel.edu/eli/
[4]. Dr. Mohammed Ibahrine, Effective Listening, Al Akhawayn University School of
Humanities and Social Sciences. P.O. Box 104 Hassan II Avenue, 53000 IFRANE, Mor
occo. URL: http://www.aui.ma/