ACTIVE LISTENING

A NUTRI TI ON IN- SERVI CE FOR STAFF

Learning is likely to be more effective if it grows
out of what interests the learner, rather than
what interests the teacher."
~ Charles Silberman

























Th i s i n s t i t u t i o n i s a n e q u a l o p p o r t u n i t y p r o v i d e r .
Wa s h i n g t o n WI C d o e s n o t d i s c r i mi n a t e .

Fo r p e r s o n s wi t h d i s a b i l i t i e s t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n i s a v a i l a b l e o n r e q u e s t i n
o t h e r f o r ma t s . To s u b mi t a r e q u e s t , p l e a s e c a l l 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 4 1 - 1 4 1 0 .


DOH960054August2008
ACTIVE LISTENING LEADER INFORMATION

A l esson on expl ori ng t he benef i t s
of Act i ve Li st eni ng.

Who: Participants:WICStaff,rangeof215participantswithavarying
degreeofmaternal,infantandchildnutritionknowledgeandWIC
experience.
Leader:WICRD/Nutritionist
Why: WICstaffareeagertohelpclientsbutsometimestheenergyused
helpingtakesawayfromtheclientsenergytotakeaction.When
trulylistening,usingactivelistening,clientsaremotivatedto
makepositivebehaviorchanges.
When: Amonthlyinservicethatisdesignedtobe30to60minutes
dependingonthediscussionandthenumberofstaffattending.
Where: ThesessionwasdesignedforaWICclassroom,meetingroomor
largeofficedependingonthesizeofthegroup.
What: Bytheendofthissessionstaffwillhave:
DefinedActiveListening.
IdentifiedthebenefitsofActiveListening.
ExploredActiveListeningtechniques.
PracticedActiveListening.

Materials
Needed:
CopyandcutoutActiveListeningTechniquescards(attached)
(Part1)
EnsureadequatemeetingspaceforPart1
Copiesof:
ActiveListeningTechniques(attached)(Part1)
ActiveListeningInserviceParticipantCopy
ActiveListeningInserviceFeedbackForm

1
ACTIVE LISTENING LEADER INFORMATION
2

Background
Readingfor
Leaders:
Forfurtherreviewandconsult:
CenterforCreativeLeadershipandMichaelHoppe,2006,Active
Listening:ImproveYourAbilitytoListenandLead,Booklet,CCL
Publications,Greensboro,NC.

How: Scheduleinservice.
Reviewbackgroundinformation.
ReviewinserviceLeaderCopy(italicizedprintindicatesleader
speaking).
Preparematerialsneeded.
Havefun!

ACTIVE LISTENING LEADER INFORMATION

3

Introduction/WarmUp3minutes
Welcome!Iwillbetheleaderforthismonthsnutritiontraining.Iencourageallofyouto
participate.TogetherwecanexploreourtopicanddiscoverstrategiestosupportourWIC
clients.

Bytheendofthissessionyouwillhave:
DefinedActiveListening.
ExploredActiveListeningtechniques.
IdentifiedthebenefitsofActiveListening.
PracticedActiveListening.

Listeningisoneofthemostimportantskillsyoucanhave.Unfortunately,manyofusare
notasgoodatlisteningaswethinkweare.
Howmuchdoyouthinkyourememberofwhatyouhear?
2550%
5075%
7595%

Dependingonthestudybeingquoted,werememberonly2550%ofwhatwehear!
Whenpeopletalktoeachother,theyoftendontlistenattentively.Theyareoften
distracted,halflistening,halfthinkingaboutsomethingelse.Wheninateachingsetting
theteacherisoftenbusyformulatingaresponsetowhatisbeingsaid.Theyassume
whattheywillhearfromtheirlearnerhasbeensaidmanytimesbefore,soratherthan
payingattention;theyfocusonhowtheycanrespond.

Hasanyoneeverfoundtheyareguiltyofthis?

Part110minutes
UsingActiveListeningTechniquecards
*Forgroupssmallerthanten,givesomeparticipantsmorethanonetechniquecard.
*Forgroupslargerthanten,maketwocopiesoftechniquescardsanddivideinto
twogroups(fourrows).

Pleaselineupyourchairsintworowsfacingeachother.IamhandingoutActive
ListeningTechniquecards.
Handoutone(ormore)ActiveListeningTechniquecardstoeachparticipant.

ACTIVE LISTENING LEADER INFORMATION

4
WhenIsaygo,sharetheinformationonyourcardwiththepersonsittingacrossfromyou.
Sharewhetheritisatechniqueyoucurrentlyuse.Ifnot,howmightyouusethistechnique
duringaWICvisit?Youwillsharewitheachotherthenafter2minutes,onesidewillrotate
andyouwillbegintheprocessagainwithanewpartner.
Youmaybegin.

After2minutes,calltimeandaskonerowtorotate.Continueuntilallparticipants
havepartneredwitheveryoneintheoppositerow.

Whowouldliketosharewhattheydiscoveredfromthisactivity?

ProvideallparticipantsacopyofActiveListeningTechniques.

Part23minutes
DefiningActiveListening
ListentothisdefinitionofActiveListening.

ActiveListeningisawayoflisteningandrespondingtoanotherpersonthatimproves
mutualunderstanding.ActiveListeningisastructuredformoflisteningand
respondingthatfocusestheattentiononthespeaker.Thelistenermusttakecaretoattend
tothespeakerfully,andthenrepeats,inthelistenersownwords,whatheorshethinks
thespeakerhassaid.Thelistenerdoesnothavetoagreewiththespeaker;heorshemust
simplystatewhattheythinkthespeakersaid.

LetsreviewsomeofthebenefitsofActiveListening.
ActiveListeninghasseveralbenefits.
Itforcespeopletolistenattentivelytoothers.
Itavoidsmisunderstandings,aspeoplehavetoconfirmthattheydoreallyunderstand
whatanotherpersonhassaid.
Ittendstoopenpeopleup,tosaymore.

HowdoyouthinkActiveListeningwouldbebeneficialwhenworkingwithWICclients?
ACTIVE LISTENING LEADER INFORMATION

5
Part320minutes
ActivelyListening
Pleasebreakupintopairs.Decidewhowillbethelistenerandwhowillbethespeaker.
ThelistenersjobistopracticeActiveListening.Useonlythetechniqueslisted.Donot
providenewinformation.Itisnotyourjobtosolvetheproblem,justtounderstandit.

Thespeakersjobistotalkaboutahabit,behavior,dilemmaorsituationthatyouare
thinkingaboutchanging.

Youhavefiveminutes.Begin.

Calltimeafterfiveminutes.

Partnerstaketwominutestoshareyourexperience.
Speaker:howdidthisprocesshelpyouthroughyourproblem?
Howdiditfeeldifferentthansomeonegivingyouinformationtofixtheproblem?

Listener:howdidthisprocessfeel?
Wewillhearsomeofyourobservations

Callthegroupbackaftertwominutes.
Hearsomeofthepairsobservations.

Switchrolesandrepeatactivity.

Closing1minute

Thanksforparticipatingtoday.Weheardsomegreatdiscussionandideasthatwillhelpus
tobetterserveourWICclients.

PleasefilloutaFeedbackFormyourinputisgreatlyappreciated.

CollectFeedbackForms.
Makeanynotesyouhaveasaleaderandwritedownhowlongthetrainingmodule
took.
ReviewparticipantsFeedbackForms.
Documentthistraining.

ActiveListeningTechniquesCards
(CopyandcutoutforPart2)

EyeContact:
Fulleyecontact.Resistingeyeson
thecomputer.

FacialExpressions:
NonverbalImlisteningcuessuch
asnodding.

Silence:
Allowingtimeforspeakertofully
exploreandstatetheirmessage.

BodyLanguage:
Ensureyourpostureisopenand
inviting.

PayAttention:
Putasidedistractingthoughts.
Avoidbeingdistractedby
environmentalfactors.

Paraphrasing:
Repeatingamessage,butusuallywith
fewerwords.

Whatisthespeakersbasicthinking
message?
Whatisthespeakersbasicfeeling
message?

Clarifying:
Processofbringingvaguematerial
intosharperfocus.

LetmeseeifIgotitall

Perceptioncheck:
Requestforverificationofyour
perceptions.

LetmeseeifIvegotitstraight

Summarizing:
Pullingtogetherandorganizing
themajoraspectsofthedialogue.

Themajorpointsofwhatyouare
saying

Empathy:
Reflectionofcontentandfeelings.

Youfeel(statefeeling)because(state
content)

ActiveListeningTechniques

NonVerbalTechniques

EyeContact:Fulleyecontact.Resistingeyesonthecomputer.

FacialExpressions:Imlisteningcuessuchasnodding.

Silence:Allowingtimeforspeakertofullyexploreandstatetheirmessage.

BodyLanguage:Ensurepostureisopenandinviting.

PayAttention:Putasidedistractingthoughts.Avoidbeingdistractedby
environmentalfactors.

VerbalTechniques

Paraphrasing:Repeatingamessage,butusuallywithfewerwords.
Whatisthespeakersbasicthinkingmessage?
Whatisthespeakersbasicfeelingmessage?

Clarifying:Processofbringingvaguematerialintosharperfocus.
LetmeseeifIgotitall.

Perceptioncheck:Requestforverificationofyourperceptions.
LetmeseeifIvegotitstraight

Summarizing:Pullingtogetherandorganizingthemajoraspectsofthe
dialogue.
Themajorpointsofwhatyouaresaying

Empathy:Reflectionofcontentandfeelings.
Youfeel(statefeeling)because(statecontent)




ACTIVE LISTENING PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
A l esson on expl ori ng t he benef i t s
of Act i ve Li st eni ng.
LearningObjectives
Bytheendofthissessionyouwillhave:
DefinedActiveListening.
ExploredActiveListeningtechniques.
IdentifiedthebenefitsofActiveListening.
PracticedActiveListening.

Howmuchdoyouthinkyourememberofwhatyouhear?
2550%
5075%
7595%

Whenpeopletalktoeachother,theyoftendontlistenattentively.Theyareoften
distracted,halflistening,halfthinkingaboutsomethingelse.Wheninateaching
settingtheteacherisoftenbusyformulatingaresponsetowhatisbeingsaid.
Theyassumewhattheywillhearfromtheirlearnerhasbeensaidmanytimes
before,soratherthanpayingattention;theyfocusonhowtheycanrespond.

Part1
UsingActiveListeningTechniques
ActiveListeningTechniquecards

Sharetheinformationonyourcardwiththepersonsittingacrossfromyou.Share
whetheritisatechniqueyoucurrentlyuse.Ifnot,howmightyouusethis
techniqueduringaWICvisit?

Aftertwominutes,onesidewillrotateandyouwillbegintheprocessagainwitha
newpartner.

Whatdidyoudiscoverfromthisactivity?

Part2
DefiningActiveListening
ListentothefollowingdefinitionofActiveListening.
ActiveListeningisawayoflisteningandrespondingtoanotherpersonthat

ACTIVE LISTENING PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
improvesmutualunderstanding.ActiveListeningisastructuredformof
listeningandrespondingthatfocusestheattentiononthespeaker.Thelistener
musttakecaretoattendtothespeakerfully,andthenrepeats,inthelisteners
ownwords,whatheorshethinksthespeakerhassaid.Thelistenerdoesnot
havetoagreewiththespeakerheorshemustsimplystatewhattheythinkthe
speakersaid.

LetsreviewsomeofthebenefitsofActiveListening.
ActiveListeninghasseveralbenefits.
Itforcespeopletolistenattentivelytoothers.
Itavoidsmisunderstandings,aspeoplehavetoconfirmthattheydoreally
understandwhatanotherpersonhassaid.
Ittendstoopenpeopleup,tosaymore.

HowdoyouthinkActiveListeningwouldbebeneficialwhenworkingwithWIC
clients?

Part3
ActivelyListening
Pleasepairupwithsomeone.Decideonaspeakerandalistener.

Speaker:shareaproblemorissueyouarecurrentlyfacing.
Listener:useActiveListeningtechniques.UseyoursheetonActiveListening
Techniquesasareference.

Youhavefiveminutes.
Partnerstake2minutestoshareyourexperience.

Speaker:howdidthisprocesshelpyouthroughyourproblem?
Howdiditfeeldifferentthansomeonegivingyouinformationtofixtheproblem?

Listener:howdidthisprocessfeel?
Switchrolesandrepeatactivity.

Closing
Thanksforparticipatingtoday.

PleasefilloutaFeedbackFormyourinputisgreatlyappreciated.



ACTIVE LISTENING FEEDBACK FORM

Learning is likely to be more effective if it grows
out of what interests the learner, rather than
what interests the teacher."
~ Charles Silberman
1. Whatdidyoulikeaboutthistraininginservice?

2. With1beinglowand10beinghigh,onascaleof1to10;howconfidentareyouin
usingtheinformationpresentedintheinservice?Whydidyouchoosethis
number?

3. Nameonenewideaorconceptyouwilldodifferently.

4. Whatadditionalinformationortrainingdoyouneedonthistopic?
2008 WA State WIC Nutrition Program 1