10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING 6145 - CAREER MANAGEMENT FALL 2013

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Stop Talking Don't talk, listen.  When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them Work at listening. The Poor Listener: Shows no energy output, fakes attention The Good Listener: Works hard; exhibits alertness.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Prepare Yourself to Listen Keep your mind open. The Poor Listener: Reacts to emotional words. The Good Listener: Interprets emotional words; does not get hung up on them.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Put the Speaker at Ease The Poor Listener: does not focus on the speaker. The Good Listener: Helps the speaker to feel free to speak.  Nods or uses other gestures or words to encourage them to continue.  Maintains eye contact but doesn’t stare – shows you are listening and understanding what is being said.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Remove Distractions Resist distractions. The Poor Listener: Is distracted easily. The Good Listener: Fights or avoids distractions; tolerates bad habits in others; knows how to concentrate.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Empathise Be a flexible note taker. The Poor Listener: Is busy with form, misses content. The Good Listener: Adjusts to topic and organizational pattern.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Be Patient Hold your fire. The Poor Listener: Tends to enter into argument. The Good Listener: Doesn't judge until comprehension is complete.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Avoid Personal Prejudice Find areas of interest. The Poor Listener: Tunes out dry topics. The Good Listener: Seizes opportunities: "What's in it for me?"

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listen to the Tone 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.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words Judge content, not delivery. The Poor Listener: Tunes out if delivery is poor. The Good Listener: Judges content, skips over delivery errors. Listen for ideas. The Poor Listener: Listens for facts. The Good Listener: Listens for central theme.

10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Be a flexible note taker. The Poor Listener: Is busy with form, misses content. The Good Listener: Watches the speaker so you can interpret body language.