1. Improving Listening Skills
(Source: Fundamentals of communication strategies, Pearson)

2. The Process of Listening

3. The Importance of Listening

4. Why listening? Build and maintain relationships (di Batista, 1997).
Essential skill for business success (Haigh, 2006).
Improve workplace relationships and be more productive (Nichols, 2006).
Reduce errors and mistakes: e.g. improved listening skills on the part of medical professionals are associated with fewer malpractice claims from patients (Lenckus, 2005)

5. Types of Listening Active listening (listening with a purpose)
Empathic listening (listening to understand)
Critical listening (listening to challenge/question and solve problems)
Listening for enjoyment (listening to be entertained).

6. Barriers to Listening Noise Physical Mental Factual Semantic
Perception
Status
Stereotype
Sights and Sounds
Ourselves
Egocentrism
Defensiveness
Experiential superiority
Personal Bias
Pseudolistening

7. How to Improve Listening Skills
Listen with a purpose
Listen and think critically
Use non-verbal communication effectively
Use verbal communication effectively
Check understanding

8. Summary Listening Process Importance Types Barriers
Strategies to improve listening skills

9. Take-home Message 1 Purpose 2 Full attention
3 Understanding
4 Feedback
5 Action
Listen with a purpose: Have a meaningful goal
Listen with full attention: activate all senses
Understand the verbal and non-verbal message
Give feedback (e.g. questions, paraphrase, summary) – to check and confirm understanding
The final goal: Action for improvement

10. Thank you and God bless you!