Listening Skills Rutherford County Communication & Conflict Resolution Training Series

Objectives Upon the completion of training, you will be able to… Understand the differences between hearing and listening Identify typical listening barriers Apply methods for overcoming listening barriers Understand and apply the HURIER listening skills model

Hearing vs. Listening Hearing is not the same as listening! Hearing is passive and occurs even while we sleep. Listening is active and involves hearing, paying attention and understanding.

What is Active Listening? Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focuses the attention on the speaker. Active listening motivates and encourages both the speaker and listener.

Why Listening Is Important Listening shows the speaker respect and that you are paying close attention to what they are saying. Listening encourages open and healthy communication. Although hearing is a natural process, listening is not. Learning effective listening skills is crucial in order to get the most out of each message.

Listening Barriers Pre-existing negative attitudes Distracting thoughts or environments Jumping to conclusions or completing the speaker’s thoughts Engaging in selective listening and listening only to what you want to hear Feeling too tired, anxious, or angry to pay attention Being in a hurry and rushing through the conversation Overlooking body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions

Tips for Overcoming Barriers Be open to the information that is being communicated regardless of any pre-existing feelings or opinions. Give the speaker your full attention and don’t become distracted by the environment or your own thoughts. Demonstrate a genuine desire to pay attention to the other person. Don’t just think about what you are going to say next!

Tips for Overcoming Barriers Listen completely to what the speaker has to say. Wait until the speaker is done talking before you respond. Pay attention to the emotion, tone and physical cues of the speaker. Ensure you understand the message clearly by asking questions, providing feedback or restating the message.

HURIER Model for Listening The HURIER model details 6 sequential steps for effective listening and can be used to improve your overall listening and communication skills. Hearing Understanding Remembering Interpreting Evaluating Responding

HURIER Model: Hearing Where listening begins with the physical process of perceiving sound. Remember, active listening involves taking hearing to the next step!

HURIER Model: Understanding Understanding what is being said. Ask questions to clarify anything you have trouble understanding.

HURIER Model: Remembering Remembering and storing information for future retrieval.

HURIER Model: Interpreting Interpreting the message, including body language, tone of voice, facial expressions and emotions.

HURIER Model: Evaluating Evaluating and separating facts from fiction. How much of what was said is accurate?

Responding Responding or providing feedback to the speaker.

Summary Listening helps eliminate communication issues and listening must be intentional. Communicating effectively and efficiently increases healthy conversation and decreases misunderstandings or conflicts in the workplace.