Assignment

Topic: comparative study of Active and Passive listening: application in real life situation

Name: sahil pathan

Roll no.:35

Sem-1

Batch – 2023-24

Master of business administration

Subject: Managerial communication

Department of business administration

Maharaja krushnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar university

Bhavnagar
 Table of content

 What is the difference between active and passive listening

 What is active listening

 What you need to know about active listening

 What is passive listening

 What you need to know about passive listening

 Similarities between active listening and passive listening

 Difference between active listening and passive listening

 When to use passive listening

 When to use active listening

 Benefits of active listening

 Tips for become an active listener

 Active and passive listening: key difference

 Conclusion
What is the difference between active and passive listening:

The main difference between active and passive listening is that active listening is listening and
reacting, but passive listening is listening without reacting.

Listening is an essential component of any communication. If you don’t listen well, you probably
won’t completely understand what is being communicated. Active listening and passive listening are
two ways we listen people. In active listening, the listener has to concentrate, understand, respond
and then remember what was communicated. In passive listening, on the other hand, the listener
has to sit back quietly and absorb information.
What is active listening:

Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person, improving the mutual
understanding between the two. It is the method of listening used in counselling and solving conflicts
and disputes. Active listening involves listening and reacting, which indicates that you understood
what was said. In this, reaction mostly involves non-verbal cues, such as nodding, making eye
contact, and facial expression. Note that these non-verbal cues happen naturally; if you concentrate
on intentionally making non-verbal cues, you are not probably listening.

Furthermore, when you are actively listening to someone, you won’t interrupt the person who is
speaking. But you will interact with him or her by asking questions or responding to his or her
questions (once the person has finished speaking). Active listening is basically a two-way
communication, and it requires a lot of attention, empathy and effort.

If the speaker has given permission, you can also take notes while listening. In active listening, it is
also important to understand better.

What you need to know about active listening:

 Active listening is where the receiver demonstrates through

interruption, asking questions, nodding and giving responses as
a sign that he or she understands what is being communicated.
 In active listening, the listener has a positive attitude which is
demonstrated through body language, eye contact and
reception.
 Empathy is a core component of active listening. Try to
understand the speaker’s emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
Reflect their emotions back to them to show that you are
attuned to their perspective.
 Active listening is a two-way communication because
  Active listening is a two-way communication because both the listener and the
communicator are engaging one another.
 Active listening result in a clear and deeper understanding of the topic under
discussion.
 Active listening requires effort because the listener has to be attentive.
 Active listener engages in reasonable exchange with the communicator.
 Examples of active listening include round-table meeting discussions, job
interviews, media interviews etc.

What is passive listening:

Passive listening is basically hearing something without responding to it. when you are listening
passively, you’ll sit quietly without giving any response or reaction. For example, listening to music,
watching the news, listening to a lecture etc. in passive listening, there is tendency of our mind
moving to other topics from time to time; although you think that you are listening to something,
you are not actually understanding what is being said. Therefore, passive listening is one-way
communication.

Sometimes we ignore the person who we don’t like therefor we don’t listen what he says no matter
how much important thing he is telling you same if person who we like if he tells something useless,
we will listen that’s the human tendency.
Since there is no feedback or questions in passive listening, the speaker also has no way of knowing
whether to listener understood the message or not. However, passive listeners also may sit quietly
without any interruptions, just like in active listening. In such cases, you can identify an active listener
from his or her non-verbal cues.

What you need to know about passive listening:

 passive listening is one where the receiver doesn’t provide feedback or asks questions and
may or may not understand what is being communicated.
 In passive listening, the listener has a negative attitude which is demonstrated through
selective and ignoring attitude.
 In passive listening, the listener pays little or no consideration to everything that is being
communicated. He or she pays attention to a few areas and phrases.
 Passive listening is one way kind of communication since the listener is not interested in
paying attention.
 Passive listening results in destruction from the topic under discussion.
 Passive listening doesn’t require much effort because the listener chooses what to pay
attention to or not.
 Passive listener hides or denies any form of reasonable engagement and thus avoiding
debates or giving options.

Similarities between active and passive listening:

 Both types of listening may involve sitting quietly, without interrupting.

 They may involve more engagement than hearing.

Difference between active and passive listening:

 Active listening is reacting while listening in order to emphasize understanding, but passive
listening is listening without reacting or responding.
 Moreover, active listening may involve feedback and questions, while passive listening does
not.
  In active listening, the listener concentrates, understands, responds and then remembers
what was said. However, in passive listening, the listener’s mind may move to other topics.
 Active listening involves natural non-verbal cues like nodding and making eye content, but
passive listening may not involve these.

When to use passive listening:

 Listeners should use passive listening in scenarios where they do not need to pay full
attention to the meaning of the speaker’s words or express through their actions that they
are listening. Some scenarios where passive listening can be useful include:

Unrelated information:

 If a speaker is communicating information that does not relate to you or is not being
addressed directly to you, its acceptable to listen passively to the information the speaker is
sharing. For instance, if a speaker is communicating to a group of individuals, but is directing
their comments toward a specific person, the other individuals in the group can practice
passive listening.

Casual conversation:

 Sometimes, casual conversation includes many pieces of information that are not important
to listen actively. For instance, a casual conversation with a close friend may not required
individuals to pay attention to every word or show the speaker they are fully engaged, as the
topic they are covering in the conversation may not be of high importance.

When to use active listening:

There are many scenarios where active listening is more valuable than passive listening, as people
often perceive active listening as more engaging and respectful. Individuals commonly practice active
listening in the following scenarios:

One-on-one conversations:

When two individuals are engaged in conversation, it is common for both parties to practice active
listening. Nodding and making eye contact help show you are fully engaged in conversations.
Additionally, saying short confirming phrases can also help show that you are actively listening during
a one-on-one conversation.

Job interviews:

Job interviews test individuals' capacity to display their unique skills, abilities and experience through
conversation. Interviewers often look for candidates who are actively paying attention to their
statements relating to the job description, the company and other important pieces of information
associated with the position. Active listening can allow interviewees to comprehend many of the
more subtle aspects of the job and show their interviewer that they are fully engaged in their
conversation.

Debates:
Debates consist of individuals exchanging well-thought-out ideas in an attempt to display the most
logically sound arguments. Debating involves listening to the arguments made by opponents and
responding based on those arguments. By actively listening to the opposing arguments, individuals
can better prepare their own statements by responding based on information included in the
previous statements.

Other important conversations:

Individuals should practice active listening in any conversation that is deemed to be important. This
shows respect to the person they are speaking with and allows the professional to process important
information. Here is a list of a few other important conversations that may require active listening:

 Fundraising meeting
 Project management meeting
 Training courses

Benefits of active listening:

There are many benefits to active listening. Here are some of the most common ones:

 Information gathering: It may be easier for individuals to gather information when they are
actively listening during conversations. Listeners who are actively listening often ask
clarifying questions in order to better understand the speaker.
 Information recall: If individuals actively listen to conversations, they are more likely to
remember specific pieces of information the speaker expressed during the conversation.
 Engagement: Active listeners are likely to be perceived as being fully engaged in their
conversations. This engagement has the benefit of making the speaker feel you are listening
to them and that you are comprehending the information they are communicating. Many
individuals may react more positively to individuals they feel are fully engaged in
conversation with them.

Tips for become an active listener:

Individuals can more easily achieve active listening through several direct actions:

Use active body language:

Listeners can use non-verbal communication to convey their engagement. For example, making eye
contact with an individual when they're speaking allows you to more easily achieve active listening.

Ask questions:

Asking questions can help active listeners show their interest in the speaker's words and help them
comprehend more of the information. For example, if a speaker states that "Our sales were up 15%"
an active listener may respond with, "which quarter?" to gain more context and convey that they are
paying full attention to the speaker.

Make eye contact:

Maintaining eye contact can help you achieve active listening by showing speakers you are paying
attention to the conversation and can also assist in your comprehension. You don't need to maintain
eye contact throughout the entirety of a conversation, but some eye contact is always helpful for
active listening.

Focus: By limiting outside distractions, individuals can achieve active listening much more easily.
Limiting distractions, such as other conversations, outside noises can all increase the ability for
listeners to remain involved in conversations.

Evaluate the situation:

The first thing you need to do is to take stock of the situation, to determine whether you need to listen
actively or passively. Is your response or interaction required, or does the other person just want to share
information with you? Your ability to know when to just listen without speaking will go a long way toward
building better relationships with others.

Focus your attention on the speaker:

Eliminate distractions and give all your attention to the speaker. Yes, that means ignoring your phone, too.
By keeping your attention on the speaker, you can more effectively consider the information that you're
hearing and avoid having your mind wander to other topics.

Maintain an open body position:

Position yourself in a way that shows you're paying attention. Face the speaker, keep your arms open and
lean in slightly towards them while maintaining good eye contact. Using the right body language can help
to demonstrate that you're fully engaged in the interaction.

Be silent, but attentive:

Usually, passive listening does not require a response. As a result, you should avoid interruptions and
simply focus on the speaker's words and body language. Remember, your job is to try to understand the
meaning of the communication, not to worry about how you'll respond.

Add passive listening to your skill set and improve your communications with others:

 Passive listening is sometimes thought of as an inferior type of listening, since it involves a one-
sided approach to communication. However, it's a vital skill to develop if you want to ensure that
you can effectively communicate with others in all types of situations. By practicing your passive
listening skills and learning when to use them, you can ensure that you're always ready and able to
absorb critical information - no matter how it's conveyed.
 Active vs Passive Listening: Key Differences
Aspect Passive Listening Active Listening

Partial and intermittent attention to the Full and sustained attention to the
Attention
speaker’s words. speaker.

Minimal engagement with the speaker’s Actively engages with the speaker’s
Engagement
message. message.

Often distracted or multitasking while Fully present and not distracted during
Involvement
“listening.” the conversation.

Responses Limited or delayed responses, if any. Provides timely and relevant responses.

Demonstrates empathy and

Lacks empathetic responses or
Empathy understanding of the speaker’s
understanding of the speaker’s feelings.
emotions.

May interrupt the speaker or finish their Avoids interrupting and allows the
Interruptions
sentences. speaker to finish.

Minimal non-verbal cues such as eye Utilizes active non-verbal cues to show
Non-Verbal Cues
contact, nodding, or facial expressions. engagement and understanding.

Rarely asks questions or seeks Asks open-ended questions to explore

Questions
clarification. the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.

Offers constructive feedback or

Feedback Provides minimal or vague feedback.
validation of the speaker’s points.

May misunderstand or misinterpret the Seeks to fully understand the speaker’s

Understanding
speaker’s message. perspective and emotions.

May make premature judgments or

Suspends judgment and refrains from
Judgment assumptions about the speaker’s
making assumptions.
message.

Recall and Limited recall and retention of the Better recall and retention of the
 Aspect Passive Listening Active Listening

speaker’s message due to active

Retention speaker’s message.
engagement.

Conclusion:

 Active listening vs passive listening: Is one better than the other one?
 As we’ve seen, both active listening and passive listening have their place depending on the
situation. Neither one is truly better than the other one.
 Passive listening works just fine in situations where you don’t have to devote 100% of your
attention to someone or something or can multitask.
 That said, there are certain situations where using your active listening skills is much more
beneficial. If it’s something important that needs to be shared between individuals, it’s best
to use your active listening skills.
 Practice the techniques listed above if your active listening competency could use some
improvement. The important relationships in your life will thank you.