Cultivarea competenei de ascultare n comunicarea de afaceri

A. Madhukar, R.K. (2009). Business Communication. 6th edition. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.

Listening process More than an act, listening is a process. It is a lot more than hearing. It starts with hearing but goes beyond. Listening involves hearing with attention. Listening is a process that calls for concentration. Hearing refers to the perception of sound with ear. Hearing is a physical act. One hear a noise, whether one wants to or not. Listening is done not only with the ear, but also with the other sense organs. While listening, one should also be observant. In other words, listening has to do with the ears, as well as with the eyes and the mind. Hearing is physical, while listening is intellectual, involving both the body and the mind. Listening is to be understood as the total process that involves hearing with attention, being observant and making interpretations. Listening calls for participation and involvement. It is necessary for the listener to be interested and also show or make it abundantly clear that one is intersted in knowing what the other person has to say. Good listeners put the speaker at ease. The listener can and should help the speaker in establishing a wavelength which communication traverses smoothly. Listening cluster: hearing, decoding, sensing, understanding, comprehending, filtering, absorbing, assimilating, empathizing, remembering and responding. The process of listening involves: 1. hearing 2. decoding 3. comprehending 4. remembering 5. responding HEARING Research has shown that the human mind can process words at the rate of about 500 per minute, whereas a speaker speaks at the rate of about 150 words a minute. Be aware and make every effort to retain the attention of the audience. The listener should also be careful not to let his mind wander. DECODING Decoding involves sensing and filtering of the verbal messages. Decoding takes place as a conscious exercise. Listening also involves filtering, whereby the massage received is classified as wanted or unwanted, useful or otherwise. That which is considered useless or unwanted is discarded. This filtering process is subjective in nature and a person chooses to retain only that which makes sense to him. COMPREHENDING The filtered message assumes a meaning. This activity can be also described as absorbing, grasping or assimilating. The message received has been heard, sensed, filtered and interpreted. In doing so, the listener has brought into play the listeners own knowledge, experience, perception and cognitive power. REMEMBERING Messages received are meant not just for immediate consideration and action, but also for future use. Remembering relates to a process whereby the assimilated message is stored in memory to facilitate future recall. RESPONDING This may take the form of prodding, promting or reassuring that the message is being well received. Types of listening PASSIVE LISTENING It refers to inert or indifferent listening. There is no conscious effort to receive and absorb the message. The message is not absorbed and the passive listener will not be in a position to remember 1

and recall the message at a future date. Passive listening takes place when the listener or receiver is constrained by various physiological and psychological factors. SELECTIVE LISTENING People listen to only that which they want to listen to. Attention is not focused. The listener lets the mind wander and the message is not thoroughly processed. ACTIVE LISTENING In this case, the listener makes conscious effort to listen attentively, decode the message and absorb it through a participative process. When one listens actively, one not only comprehends the message, but is also in a position to remember and recall the same as and when required. Barriers to listening PHYSICAL BARRIERS: low audibility level, extraneous noises and sounds, malfunctioning of the microphone and other mechanical devices and frequent interruptions. PEOPLE-RELATED BARRIERS People-related barriers can be both physiological and psychological. Physiological barriers arise when the listener suffers from ill health, fatigue, sleeplessness or hearing problems which come in the way of good listening. It may also arise due to the accent and pronunciation shortcomings of the speaker. Psychological barriers cover the value system and the behavioural aspects. It may also be on account of hierarchical differences. They may relate to bias against the speaker or the message, lack of credence about the source of communication, underestimation of the speaker and the speakers ability and past experience. Ten commandments of listening 1. Stop talking 2. Put the speaker at ease 3. Show you want to listen 4. Remove distractions 5. Empathize with the speaker 6. Be patient 7. Hold your temper 8. Refrain from argumentation and criticism 9. Ask questions and elicit more 10. Stop talking again Importance of listening skills in business There is a growing concern in every business to offer value added services. This means that people at the counters, the sales force, the people who make customer contacts and everyone concerned with understanding customer needs should actively and sincerely listen to the customer. Organizations which make a conscious effort in this regard are described as listening organizations. Behavioural skills and attitudes that focus on attending to the customer are far more relevant today than in the past. Good listening skills are particularly relevant in dealing with customer complaints and employee grievances, in hearing the voice of dissent and while seeking suggestions from customers and employees. Suggestions will be more forthcoming when people in authority lend a patient ear. The customers of today seek reassurance that they are being heard. Be it a request, or a complaint, or a suggestion or a piece of advice, listening to the customer is a must.
B. James, S. Ode I. i Soola, E. O. (1990). Introduction to Communication for Business a Organizations. Ibadan: Spectrum Books.

Introduction Its a pity that Raman didnt receive the promotion he wanted, but he has one big fault: he doesnt know how to listen. This remark was made by a department head in a manufacturing firm. Listening is a skill, an art necessary for success in life and work. Do you know that we devote about 2

40 to 45 per cent of our working hours to listening? And do you know that, if you have not taken steps to improve this skill, you listen at only 25 per cent efficiency? For a long time most persons assumed that listening was a natural trait, but practically, not all people are good listeners. Evidence indicates that many persons do not know how to listen - that listening is a skill that must be developed. In Shakespeares Julius Caesar, Marc Antony realizes that persons dont listen readily, for he begins his famous oration by saying, Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. As you will learn in the following pages, listening effectively is hard work. It involves far more than sitting passively and absorbing others words. It occurs far more frequently than speaking, reading, or writing and is just as demanding and important. What Listening is Johnson defines listening as the ability to understand and respond effectively to oral communication. Thus, we can state at the outset that hearing is not listening. Listening requires more than hearing; it requires understanding of the communication received. Davis states it this way: Hearing is with the ears, but listening is with the mind. Common Faults of Listening Research studies shows that our listening efficiency is no better than 25 to 30 per cent. That means the considerable information is lost in the listening process. Why? Some reasons follow: 1. Prejudice against the speaker. At times we have conflict in our mind as to the speaker. Whatever he speaks seems to be colored and we practically dont listen what he says. 2. Rehearsing. Your whole attention is on designing and preparing your next comment. You look interested, but your mind is going a mile a minute because you are thinking about what to say next. Some people rehearse whole chains of responses: Ill say, then hell say, and so on. 3. Judging negatively. Labeling people can be extremely limiting. If you prejudge somebody as incompetent or uninformed, you dont pay much attention to what that person says. A basic rule of listening is that judgments should only be made after you have heard and evaluated the content of the message. 4. Identifying. When using this block, you take everything people tell you and refer it back to your own experience. They want to tell you about a toothache, but that reminds you of your oral surgery for receding gums. You launch into your story before they can finish theirs. 5. Advising. You are the great problem solver. You dont have to hear more than a few sentences before you begin searching for the right advice. However, while you are coming up with suggestions and convincing someone to just try it, you may miss what is most important. 6. Sparring. This block has you arguing and debating with people who never feel heard because you are so quick to disagree. In fact, your main focus is on finding things to disagree with. 7. Being Right. Being right means you will go to great lengths (twist the facts, start shouting, make excuses or accusations, call up past sins) to -avoid being wrong. You cant listen to criticism, you cant be corrected, and you cant take suggestions to change. 8. Derailing. This listening block involves suddenly changing the subject. You derail the train of conversation when you get uncomfortable or bored with a topic. Another way of derailing is by joking. 9. Placating. Right Absolutely I know Of course you areIncredible... Really? You want to be nice, pleasant, supportive. You want people to like you. So you agree with everything. 10. Dreaming. When we dream, we pretend to listen but really tune the other person out while we drift about in our interior fantasies. Instead of disciplining ourselves to truly concentrate on the input, we turn the channel to a more entertaining subject. 11. Thinking speed. Most of us speak between 60 to 180 words per minute, and people have capacity to think at the rate of 500 to 800 words per Minute. The difference leaves us with the great deal of mental spare time. While it is possible to use this time to explore the speakers ideas, we most often let our mind wander to other matters - from the unfinished business just mentioned to romantic fantasies. 12. Premature evaluation. It often happens that we interrupt the speakers before they complete their thought, or finish their sentence, or state their conclusions. Directly as a result of our rapid thinking 3

speed, we race ahead of what we feel is the conclusion. We anticipate. We arrive at the concluding thought quickly although often that is quite different from what the speaker intended. 13. Semantic stereotypes. As certain kind of people bother us, so too do certain words. When these words are repeated time and again, they cause annoyance in the mind and effective listening is impaired. 14. Delivery. A monotonous delivery by the speaker can put listeners to sleep or cause them to loose interest. 15. External distractions. The entire physical environment effects the listen-ing. Among the negative factors are noisy fans, poor or glaring lights, distracting background music, overheated or cold rooms, a conversation going on nearby, and so on. How to Improve Listening Skill 1. Realize that listening is hard work. You must appreciate the art of listening, and make conscious effort to listen others. 2. Prepare to listen. To receive the message clearly, the receiver must have the correct mental attitude. In your daily communications, establish a permissive environment for each communicator. 3. Have positive attitude. If you have to do it, do it with a positive attitude. 4. Resist distractions. Tune out internal and external distractions by facing and maintaining contact with the speaker. If you experience some negative environment factors, you can sometimes move to another location in the room. Good listeners adjust quickly to any kind of abnormal. 5. Listen to understand, not refute. Respect the viewpoint of those you disagree with. Try to understand the points they emphasize and why they have such feelings (training, background, etc.). Dont allow your personal biases and attitudes to influence your listening to the message. 6. Keep an open mind. A good listener doesnt feel threatened or insulted, or need to resist messages that contradict his beliefs, attitudes, ideas, or personal values. Try to identify and rationalize the words or phrases most upsetting to your means. 7. Find an area of interest. Good listeners are interested and attentive. They find ways to make the message relevant to themselves and/ or their jobs. Make your listening efficient by asking yourself what is he saying that I can use? Does he have any worthwhile ideas? Is he conveying any workable approaches or solutions? G. K Chesterton once said, There is no such-thing as an uninteresting subject; there are only uninteresting people. 8. Concentrate on the context. Search out main ideas. Construct a mental outline of where speaker is going. Listen for transition and progression of ideas. If need be, you may reinforce the mental outline by physically taking down the notes. 9. Capitalize on thought-speed. Most of us think at about four times faster than the communicator speaks. It is almost impossible to slow down our thinking speed. What do you do with the excess thinking time while someone is speaking? The good listener uses thought-speed to advantage by applying spare thinking time to what is being said. Your greatest handicap may be not capitalizing on converted into your greatest asset. 10. Combine verbal delivery with nonverbal cues. F. S. Pearls, author of Gestalt Theory Vibration, said Dont listen to the words_ just listen to what the voice tells you, what the movements tell you, what the posture tells you what the image tells you. 11. Show some empathy. Empathy means placing yourself in the shoes of speaker and try understand his viewpoint from there. If we show some empathy, we create a climate that encourages others to communicate honestly and openly. Therefore, try to see the communicators point of view. 12. Hold your fire. Be patient. Dont interrupt. Dont become over-stimulated, too excited, or excited too soon, by what the speaker says. Be sure you understand what the speaker means; that is, withhold your evaluation until your comprehension is complete. Mentally arguing with a communicator is one of the principal reasons so little listening takes place in some discussions. Dont argue. If you win, you lose. 13. Listen critically and delay judgment. Good listeners delay making a judgment about the communicators personality, the principal points of the message, and the response. Ask questions 4

and listen critically to the answers. Then, at the appropriate time, judgment can be passed in an enlightened manner. Approaches to Listening Just as a carpenter or a chef uses different tools to tackle a job, listeners can take advantage of several skills for listening and responding to messages at work. Different approaches to listening are discussed below: PASSIVE LISTENING. Sometimes the best approach to listening is to stay out of the way and encourage the speaker to keep going: Uh-huh, really, Tell me more, and so on. Non-verbal cues like eye contact, attentive posture, and appropriate facial expressions are an important part of the passive listening. Generally this approach is used when there is one to one conversation or the speaker is giving a formal presentation. QUESTIONING. Sincere questions are genuine request for information: when did you find that fuel was leaking from the barrel?, When did you inform your manager?, and the like. These questions may be used to gather facts and details, clarify meanings, and encourage a speaker to elaborate. PARAPHRASING. Paraphrasing occurs when a listener restate the speakers ideas in his own words in order to ensure that he has understood them correctly. This is often preceded by phrases such as, Let me make sure I understand what you are saying..., or in other words you are saying... and the like. We often think that we understand other person but we may be wrong at times. Paraphrasing is a practical technique that can highlight misunderstandings. Points to ponder Here are some hints and tips to make you a better listener: 1. Listen carefully to what the speaker says. Pick out the key words in any information. Its easier to remember one or two important words than a whole sentence. If youre taking a message for someone its easier to write down key words to help you remember the message than it is to try to write everything out. You can add to your message after youve finished listening to the information. 2. Give each new stage in a set of instructions a number, it will help you remember them later. 3. Repeat the instructions or the information youve been given back to the person who gave them to you. If youve got anything wrong the person will correct you and the repetition will help you to remember. 4. Ask questions about anything that you are unsure of, or replay the recorded message. 5. Go through the complete sequence in your mind so that it is clear. If youre taking a message for someone else you might want to rewrite it using complete sentences so that it will make sense to the reader. 6. If you are with someone you need to do some extra things while you are listening, because you are part of a two-way process and you want to encourage the other person. Look interested in what they are saying Maintain eye contact If the person is giving you directions, pay attention to the direction they are pointing. Gesture can be very important and can often make the speakers meaning much clearer. A Poor Listener May 1. Not focus on the speaker (e.g. look around the room) 2. Interrupt when another speaker is taking their turn, or before the person has finished 3. Talk about themselves only 4. Maintain a blank face 5. Show no interest in the topic or not understand the points being made (e.g. lack background in the topic) 6. Not ask questions about what has been said 7. Aggressively disagree with the points being made (although this may be because the listener is appalled by the ideas being presented!) 5

Poor Listener tends to "wool-gather" with slow speakers

Effective Listener thinks and mentally summarizes, weighs the evidence, listens between the lines to tones of voice and evidence finds what's in it for me fights distractions, sees past bad communication habits, knows how to concentrate has 2-3 ways to take notes and organize important information doesn't judge until comprehension is complete uses "heavier" materials to regularly exercise the mind interpret color words, and doesn't get hung up on them holds eye contact and helps speaker along by showing an active body state judges content, skips over delivery errors listens for central ideas

subject is dry so tunes out speaker distracted easily takes intensive notes, but the more notes taken, the less value; has only one way to take notes is overstimulated, tends to seek and enter into arguments inexperienced in listening to difficult material; has usually sought light, recreational materials lets deaf spots or blind words catch his or her attention shows no energy output judges delivery -- tunes out listens for facts