©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2/e PPTPPT

©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 Listening: A Silent Hero McGraw-Hill/Irwin

3 Are You Listening? Some professionals spend most of their working day listening to customers. © Keith Brofsky/Getty Images

4 Are You Listening? Is Anybody Really Listening? Hearing ◦involuntary physiological process of receiving sound waves through receptors in the ear that transmit them to the brain Listening ◦active process of selecting, attending to, interpreting, and remembering sounds What’s the Difference Between Hearing and Listening?

5 Are You Listening? FIGURE 4.1Profile of Business Communication Skills

6 Are You Listening? FIGURE 4.2Listening

7 Active Listening in Business Active listening ◦intrapersonal and interactive process in which we actively focus on, interpret, and respond verbally and nonverbally to messages Listening to Learn focusing on, interpreting, and remembering information

8 Active Listening in Business Practice Listening to Learn  Prepare yourself to listen actively  Interpret message meaning & support memory  Withhold judgment  Outline message  Take notes  Mentally summarize information  Ask questions  Practice listening to challenging material

9 Active Listening in Business Critical listening requires that you evaluate and analyze information in order to make a decision. © Royalty-Free/CORBIS

10 Active Listening in Business Critical Listening ◦making assessments and decisions about what you hear Sensitive Listening ◦supportive and nonjudgmental; it demonstrates empathy toward others when they share their thoughts and feelings

11 Active Listening in Business Practice Sensitive Listening  Take time to listen.  Empathize with the speaker.  Let the speaker vent.  Withhold judgment and criticism. Avoid downgrading.  Don’t offer advice or try to solve the problem.  Demonstrate supportive verbal & nonverbal feedback.

12 Active Listening in Business Dialogue Listening ◦used to identify, share, and explore other people’s meanings and perspectives in an open group dialogue Practice Listening in Business Groups  Prepare for listening in advance  During the meeting

13 Active Listening in Business Listening Self-Assessment 1.tend to daydream or change the topic 2.mentally or verbally paraphrase 3.tend to interrupt 4.ask the speaker questions 5.often divert my eye gaze away

14 Active Listening in Business Listening Self-Assessment (continued) 6.ask for clarification 7.tend to think about what I want to say 8.listen to everything 9.find myself fidgeting 10.avoid internal and external distractions

15 Active Listening in Business Listening Self-Assessment (continued) 11.think about other unrelated things 12.exhibit nonverbal cues 13.verbally complete the speaker’s sentences 14.take notes 15.jump in to offer my opinion or a solution

16 Passive Listening in Business Passive listening ◦absorption of sounds without the personal involvement necessary for active attention, interpretation, or feedback Listening for Pleasure

17 Passive Listening in Business Casual Listening Conversational casual listening ◦interpersonal listening that occurs among two or more people in a social setting Polite casual listening ◦passive because the listener may not be interested in the topic and does not participate in the interaction

18 I’m Not Listening Too Busy with Wireless to Listen Not listening ◦when we tune messages out More and more companies are cracking down on the use of cell phones and hand-held devices, which can distract listeners during meetings. © Ronnie Kaufman/CORBIS

19 Listening Liabilities External Noise Internal Noise 1.Preoccupation 2.Self-centered listening 3.Focusing exclusively on facts 4.Daydreaming 5.Resist asking important questions

20 Listening Liabilities Message Noise 1.Emotionally charged words can interfere 2.Perceived as uninteresting or challenging 3.Preconceived ideas and prejudices

21 Listening Liabilities Channel Deficiencies Cultural Barriers 1.Accents 2.Men and women

22 Questions