ASHLAND - PAUL G. BLAZER ARMY JROTC We Can! as of: 12Oct16, POC: CSM Mike Maynard 1

THE POWER OF LISTENING Learning Objectives The Art Of Listening Listening Versus Hearing Fast Facts Effective Listening Percentage Of Communication Why Be A Good Listener Barriers To Listening Four Levels Of Listening Bad Listening Habits Characteristics Of Listening Active Listening Steps Improving Listening Skills Ten Keys To Effective Listening Closing Comments & Questions 2

To Learn How To Listen Effectively In Class And In Life LEARNING OBJECTIVES Goal To Learn How To Listen Effectively In Class And In Life Develop Students Listening Abilities, Teach Basic Listening Strategies, Address Difficulties Faced In Effective Listening 3

THE ART OF LISTENING “If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have been given two mouths and one ear.” - Mark Twain Listening The Process Of Receiving, Constructing Meaning From, And Responding To Spoken And/Or Nonverbal Messages; To Hear Something With Thoughtful Attention Effective Communication Is 2-way Depends On Speaking And Listening 4

LISTENING VS. HEARING Hearing Listening Listening Is Hard! Physical Process; Natural; Passive Listening Physical & Mental Process; Active; Learned Process; A Skill Listening Is Hard! You Must Choose To Participate In The Process Of Listening. 5

FAST FACTS We Listen At 125-250 Wpm, Think At 1000-3000 Wpm 75% Of The Time We Are Distracted, Preoccupied Or Forgetful 20% Of The Time, We Remember What We Hear More Than 35% Of Businesses Think Listening Is A Top Skill For Success Less Than 2% Of People Have Had Formal Education With Listening 6

What Communication Skill Can Be More Basic Than Listening? EFFECTIVE LISTENING What Communication Skill Can Be More Basic Than Listening? We Spend More Time Listening Than Any Other Activity Except Breathing, Yet We Listen At Only A Fraction Of Our Potential. Because We Believe Ourselves To Be Good Listeners We Seldom Make An Effort To Improve. 7

What Is Effective Listening? Effective Listening Skills Are The Ability To Actively Understand Information Provided By The Speaker, And Display Interest In The Topic Discussed. It Can Also Include Providing The Speaker With Feedback, By Asking Pertinent Questions So The Speaker Knows The Message Is Received. Effective Listening Is A Skill Using Multiple Senses To Comprehend The Message Being Sent By The Speaker. 8

Importance Of Listening EFFECTIVE LISTENING Importance Of Listening The Importance Of Listening Extends Far Beyond Academic And Professional Settings. Understanding How To Practice Good Communication Even In Your Day To Day Life, Among Friends, Family, And Significant Others, Is Important For A Number Of Reasons: Fostering Good Self-esteem, Maximizing Productivity, Improving Relationships, And Even Becoming A Better Speaker. 9

Listening As A Communication Skill EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listening As A Communication Skill Listening Is One Of The Most Important Communication Skills We Probably Spend More Time Using Our Listening Skills Than Any Other Kind Of Skill Like Other Skills, Listening Takes Practice Real Listening Is An Active Process Listening Requires Attention 10

Why Few People Listen Effectively EFFECTIVE LISTENING Why Few People Listen Effectively Listening Sometimes Does Not Come Easy. Often, The Difficulty Is Not Because People Are Not Willing To Listen But Because They Are Unable To Do So. Their Mind Does Not Allow Them To See The Total Picture Because They Are Only Able To See The World In One Dimension. This Inability To Listen Using Both Sides Of The Brain Can Cause Miscommunication, Misinterpretation, And Miscalculation. 11

Why Few People Listen Effectively EFFECTIVE LISTENING Why Few People Listen Effectively The Result Can Be A Listener Who Is Unable To Deal With Not Only The Logic Of A Relationship But With The Emotional Component Either. Hence, This Asymmetrical Use Of The Brain Often Results In The Inability Of The Listener To Absorb All The Necessary Cues From The Person Speaking. Effective And Active Listening Requires, Using Both Sides Of The Brain. Unfortunately, Few People Understand This Fact. Instead, They See This Skill As One Reflecting The Use Of The Right Or Left Side Of The Brain. 12

PERCENTAGE OF COMMUNICATION Mode of Communication Formal Years of Training Percentage of Time Used Writing 12 years 9% Reading 6-8 years 16 % Speaking 1-2 years 30% Listening 0-few hours 45% 13

WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Needs Of The Customer… To Be Recognized And Remembered To Feel Valued To Feel Appreciated To Feel Respected To Feel Understood To Feel Comfortable About A Want Or Need 14

WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Is The Most Powerful Form Of Acknowledgment …A Way Of Saying, “You Are Important” Listening Builds Stronger Relationships …Creates A Desire To Cooperate Among People Because They Feel Accepted And Acknowledged Listening Promotes Being Heard …"Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood." - Stephen Covey 15

WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Creates Acceptance And Openness …Conveys The Message That “I Am Not Judging You.” Listening Leads To Learning …Openness Encourages Personal Growth And Learning Listening Reduces Stress And Tension …Minimizes Confusion And Misunderstanding, Eliminating Related Stress And Tension 16

Listening Is CRITICAL In Conflict Resolution WHY BE A GOOD LISTENER? Listening Is CRITICAL In Conflict Resolution …Much Conflict Comes From The Need To Be Heard. Successful Resolution Depends On Being A Non-anxious Presence 17

BARRIERS TO LISTENING Equate With Hearing Uninteresting Topics Speaker’s Delivery External Distractions Mentally Preparing Response Listening For Facts Personal Concerns Personal Bias Language/Culture Differences Faking Attention 18

FOUR LEVELS OF LISTENING The Non-Listener The Marginal Listener The Evaluative Listener The Active Listener 19

BAD LISTENING HABITS Criticizing The Subject Or The Speaker Getting Over-stimulated Listening Only For Facts Not Taking Notes Or Outlining Everything Tolerating Or Creating Distraction Letting Emotional Words Block Message Wasting Time Difference Between Speed Of Speech And Speed Of Thought 20

CHARACTERISTICS OF LISTENING L = Look Interested I = Involve Yourself By Responding S = Stay On Target T = Test Your Understanding E = Evaluate The Message N = Neutralize Your Feelings 21

ACTIVE LISTENING (4 STEPS) Active Listening - Hearing Clarifying - Questioning Reflecting - Interpreting Responding - Agreeing 22

STEP 1: ACTIVE LISTENING To Feelings As Well As Words Words – Emotions -- Implications Focus on Speaker Don’t plan, speak, or get distracted What Is Speaker Talking About? Topic? Speaker? Listener? Others? Look At Speaker Use Verbal & Non-Verbal Encouragers 23

STEP 1: HEARING Allow The Other Person To Talk Avoid Interruptions Clear One's Mind Of Distractions Encourage The Speaker To Elaborate On What Is Being Said Through Verbal And Nonverbal Cues Focus On The Speaker; Maintain Eye Contact Listen To What Is Said And Not How It Is Said Model The Speaker's Physical Behavior To Encourage Further Talking Observe Nonverbal Behavior As Well As What Is Said Use Open-ended Questions To Encourage The Speaker To Continue Talking 24

STEP 2: CLARIFYING Ask Open-end Questions To Probe For Further Detail Avoid Asking Leading Questions To Get The Desired Comment Or Response Avoid Coming To Conclusions Before The Speaker Finishes Be Cognizant Of The Speaker's Choice And Application Of Words Encourage Feedback Through Questioning Keep All Of Your Questions Pertinent To The Topic Look For Synchronicity Between What Was Said And Body Language Maintain Two-way Communication Paraphrase What Was Said And Verify For Accuracy Try To Separate Assumptions From Facts And Data 25

STEP 2: QUESTIONING 3 Purposes Open-ended Demonstrates you are listening Gather information Clarification Open-ended Tell me more? How did you feel? Then what happened? 26

STEP 3: REFLECTING Reflect What Is Said (In your words) Reflect Feelings Reframe Capture the essence of the communication Remove negative framing Move toward problem solving 27

STEP 3: INTERPRETING Avoid Taking What The Speaker Says At Face Value By Looking At Feelings As Well As Body Language Communicate Your Interpretation And Verify Its Accuracy Concentrate On Facts And Data, Not Perceptions Distinguish Between Assumptions, And Facts And Data Identify The Main Ideas Pay Attention To Nonverbal Communications To Determine Sincerity About What Is Said 28

STEP 4: RESPONDING Be sincere Conduct follow-up, if necessary, on any resulting request by the instructor or the speaker Demonstrate a physiological (e.g., body language) and psychological response Exhibit empathy rather than sympathy Exhibit verbal and nonverbal cues that build bridges rather than walls between the project manager and the speaker Seek feedback on your response. 29

STEP 4: AGREEING Get Speaker’s Consent to Your Reframing Speaker Has Been Heard and Knows It! Solution Is Near! 30

IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS By Not Being Preoccupied Being Open Minded & Non Defensive Minimizing Interruptions Effective Listening Is: Hearing, Interpreting When Necessary, Understanding The Message And Relating To It By Asking Questions 31

TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING Find Areas Of Interest The Poor Listener: Tunes Out Dry Topics The Good Listener: Seizes Opportunities: "What's In It For Me?" Judge Content, Not Delivery The Poor Listener: Tunes Out If Delivery Is Poor The Good Listener: Judges Content, Skips Over Delivery Errors Hold Your Fire The Poor Listener: Tends To Enter Into Argument The Good Listener: Doesn't Judge Until Comprehension Is Complete 32

TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listen For Ideas The Poor Listener: Listens For Facts The Good Listener: Listens For Central Theme Be A Flexible Note Taker The Poor Listener: Is Busy With Form, Misses Content The Good Listener: Adjusts To Topic And Organizational Pattern Work At Listening The Poor Listener: Shows No Energy Output, Fakes Attention The Good Listener: Works Hard; Exhibits Alertness 33

TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING Resist Distractions The Poor Listener: Is Distracted Easily The Good Listener: Fights Or Avoids Distractions; Tolerates Bad Habits In Others; Knows How To Concentrate Exercise Your Mind The Poor Listener: Resists Difficult Material; Seeks Light, Recreational Material The Good Listener: Uses Heavier Material As Exercise For The Mind Keep Your Mind Open The Poor Listener: Reacts To Emotional Words The Good Listener: Interprets Emotional Words; Does Not Get Hung Up On Them 34

TEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING Thought Is Faster Than Speech; Use It The Poor Listener: Tends To Daydream With Slow Speakers The Good Listener: Challenges, Anticipates, Mentally Summarizes, Weights The Evidence, Listens Between The Lines To Tone And Voice 35

CLOSING COMMENTS & QUESTIONS… 36