TRAINING DAY 3 – ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS SUMMARY

Effective listening is the process of analyzing sounds, organizing them into recognizable
patterns, interpreting the patterns and understanding the message by inferring the meaning.

In communication, listening comes first followed by speaking, reading, and lastly writing.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HEARING AND LISTENING

1. Hearing is a mechanical process (accidental) while listening requires focus.

2. Hearing is involuntary while listening is voluntary.
3. Hearing is effortless while listening has to be intentional.
In listening, you need to understand, perceive, sense and feel what’s being discussed.

STEPS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

1. Hearing
2. Filtering
3. Comprehending
4. Remembering
5. Responding
6. Completing

TYPES OF LISTENING

1. Discriminative listening.
2. Comprehension listening also known as Full listening.
3. Evaluative listening also known as Critical listening.
4. Attentive listening.
5. Selective listening.
6. Empathetic listening.

BARRIERS TO ACTIVE LISTENING

1. Physical barriers
2. Psychological barriers

Physical barriers include:

1. Noise.
2. Poor acoustics.
3. Defective mechanical devices.
4. Frequent interruptions.
5. Uncomfortable environment.
6. Message overload.
Psychological barriers include:

1. State of health.
2. Disability.
3. Wandering attention.
4. Personal anxiety.
5. Attitude.

NON-VERBAL SIGNS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

1. Smile.
2. Eye contact.
3. Posture.
4. Distractions.

VERBAL SIGNS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

1. Positive reinforcement.
2. Remembering.
3. Questioning.
4. Reflection.
5. Clarification.
6. Summarization.

TIPS FOR BEING AN ACTIVE LISTENER

1. Pay attention.
2. Show that you are listening.
3. Provide feedback.
4. Avoid judgment.
5. Respond appropriately.

IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING

1. Active listening skills can be learnt.

2. Active listening skills can be developed.
3. No communication process is complete without it.