Succeed by Listening

1. Succeed by Listening Discussion Session #73 Jen Alexander

2. Time and money are both wasted by poor listening!

3. Hearing is a natural process! ~~~Listening is altogether different.

4. Steps to Better Listening Make eye contact! --This is very important to show you have interest in what is being said!

5. Sit in a Listening Posture! This also shows that you are attentive and interested in what the speaker is saying to you.

6. Avoid talking! This includes interrupting or discussing the speaker’s ideas with your neighbor while the speaker is talking.

7. Listen first; judge later. Hear all the speaker has to say before deciding.

8. Think about what the speaker is saying, not what you want to say next. (Jot down your ideas so that you can give 100% attention to the speaker without forgetting your idea.)

9. Stay focused! Avoid preoccupation, daydreaming, planning your weekend, etc.

10. Take notes on what the speaker is saying. (This method helps override boredom and daydreaming.) Regularly summarize what the speaker has already said. What are his main points?

11. Listen "between the lines." • Is there anything the speaker is hinting at but not actually saying? • Watch body language and gestures.

12. Listen to what the speaker actually says. Avoid hearing what you expect to hear. Don’t finish the speaker’s sentences in your imagination.

13. What kind of a listener are you?

14. The levels of listening • Level 1 - Quiet, Passive • Day dreaming • Inattentive • Letting your mind wander • Paying attention only occasionally • “Fault-finding” listening Efficiency rate of only about 5%

15. The levels of listening • Level 2 – False Communication • Both speaker and listener believe communication is taking place – but it really isn’t • Hearing, not listening • “Semantic barrier” – ignores non-verbals

16. The levels of listening • Level 3 – Active Listening • Empathetic • Gets the whole message • Thorough understanding of the speaker • You listen objectively and calmly

17. All of us listen in all three of the levels….. • Most people spend 35% of their listening time at Level 1 • 65% of our listening time is spent at Level 2 or 3

18. What makes a good listener? • They listen for ideas, not just facts • They want to learn, and they sum up what they’re learning • They want to improve their listening skills • They are working at listening all the time

19. Ways to improve your listening skills: • Work at listening – do some studying • Take the initiative • Pay attention to ideas • Look for non-verbals – body language, facial expressions • Use the message

20. Ways to improve your listening skills: • Sum it up • Take notes • Ignore emotional words • Don’t be distracted • Practice

21. Practice is the only way to become a good listener!

22. We can speak 200 words per minute….. ….We can listen to 300 – 500 words per minute

23. Important Words to Listen to • There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves. Albert Guinon (1863 - 1923) • When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. Ernest Hemingway (1899 - 1961) • No man ever listened himself out of a job. Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933)

24. Works Cited • Ten Steps to better listening: McCallie Online • Succeed by Listening

25. Evaluation Questions Use: • Strongly agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly disagree • Don’t know • I found the presentation of material easy to understand. • This Advantage session increased my knowledge on the subject presented. • I will be able to use some of the information from this Advantage session in the future. • The presenter was well prepared for this Advantage session. • This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.