LISTENING SKILLS

During communication, the receiver is as important as the sender. Without the receiver, there is no need for a message, a channel, or feedback.

The most important quality of a receiver is to be willing to receive information. This can be through listening, reading, observing, following, etc. Out of these what stands out is listening because without the listener the communication cycle is not complete.

ACTIVE LISTENING

Active listeners make appropriate gestures, facial expressions, sounds, etc., to convey that they are listening. This becomes not only a motivating factor for the speaker but also a springboard for clarity of thoughts in the speaker.

The following are the characteristics of Active Listening.

LISTENING is more than hearing

Converting noise into meaningful SOUNDS

DECODE information appropriately

Be PREPARED before listening

Do not DISTRACT yourself while listening

Make POSTURAL ADJUSTMENTS while listening

Be RELAXED when you are listening

LISTENING TO COMMUNICATE

The speaker is good only when the listener can communicate accurately. Reciprocating thoughts is the essence of communication. This is successful only when the listener can assimilate the information s/he is getting.

The following characteristics help in listening.

Make sure you are receiving one message at a time

Convey to the speaker that you are ready to listen

Make proper body movements to indicate you are listening

Utter relevant sounds to emphasize you are getting the message

ASKING QUESTIONS

The major aspect of communication is to ask questions. Whether it is a conversation or it is a public speech, the speaker needs to know what the listener is interested in? One best way of providing such feedback is by asking questions.

Questions should have the following characteristics.

Questions should be specific

Questions should be relevant

Questions should convey your curiosity

Questions should not be manipulative

Questions should be repeated when answers are not clear to you

Questions should elicit elaborate information

Questions asking for opinions and beliefs should be avoided

Questions are not meant to display your prowess

Questions should be either to clarify doubts or elicit details

ELICITING ANSWERS

It is the job of a listener not only to ask questions but also to modulate the speaker to answer the questions appropriately without deviating from the topic.

The following characteristics help in eliciting relevant answers.

Get answers to the point

Do not allow the speaker to stray away from the topic

Make sure that answers are not misleading

Put conscious effort in eliciting the right information

Guide the speaker with more specific questions to obtain answers

GUIDING CONVERSATION

More often the speaker may stray away from the topic at hand. In such a case the listener can prompt the speaker to return to the topic.

The following characteristics are relevant to guide the conversation.

Help the speaker to organize his or her thoughts

Do not give scope for argument

Avoid cross conversation

Let not the speaker move away from the topic

Encourage the speaker to give you answers

OBSERVATION AND LISTENING

There is a lot of information expressed by the speaker through body language, gestures, mannerisms, symbols, signs, etc. The listener must develop keen observation skills to obtain as much information as possible.

The following characteristics are important for a listener.

Non-verbal cues are more important in listening than spoken words

Observe the body language of the speaker

Make notes if necessary

Be prepared with a checklist when you are receiving complicated information

Verify whether or not the information you receive is what the speaker intended to convey

MINIMIZING ERRORS IN LISTENING

Errors in listening can creep in because of the noise generated either during the conversation or speech. Noise is also generated when the listener is thinking about something else away from the topic.

The following characteristic helps in minimizing the errors in listening.

Provide proper feedback after you receive the message

Do not make judgments

Make sure your decoding is accurate

Cross-check your information

Summarize what the speaker has said and ask him or her if the message is clear

Do not ASSUME but make it certainly clear

In short, Listening skills involve active listening, listening to communicate, asking questions, eliciting answers, guiding conversation, observation and listening, and minimizing errors in listening.