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Active Listening

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Listening is not the same as Hearing

Hearing ListeningAccidental FocusedInvoluntary VoluntaryEffortless IntentionalPassive Active

Hearing refers to the sounds you hear, whereas effective listening requires concentration and the use of your other senses, not just hearing the words spoken.

We Spend a lot of Time Listening

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Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001).

Reasons for ListeningWe listen to obtain informationWe listen to understandWe listen for enjoymentWe listen to learn

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Research on listening suggests that we remember between 25% and 50% of what we hear. Listening is a skill we can all benefit from improving.

Active Listening

Stop Talking!Don’t talk, listen.

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“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear.” Mark Twain

Active Listening

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Pay Attention!Screen out distractions, including your

own thoughts and feelingsRelax and focus on the speakerBe presentMaintain eye contact if possibleDo not doodle, shuffle papers,

stare out the window, etc..

Active Listening

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Visualize to understandConcentrate on what is being saidCreate a mental model of the

informationRemember key words and phrasesKeep an open mind Defer Judgment

Active Listening

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Listen for ideas, not just wordsRepeated ThemesMain IdeasKey Points

Active Listening

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• Do not interrupt the speaker– Let the speaker finish,

– Pause before asking a question or providing feedback

– Finish listening before you speak

– Do not impose a ‘solution’

“There is nothing so annoying as to have two people talking when you’re busy interrupting. Mark Twain

Active Listening

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Receive inputFocus on inputAttach meaning to the inputUnderstand and integrate into your

frame of referenceEvaluate and judge the meritsResolve and decide what to do with the

information

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