Listening is the "receiving" part of communication. We spend countless hours of our lives engaged in listening-related activities such as">

POSITIVE TALK... with Linda How Well Do You Listen?   Listening is the "receiving" part of communication. We spend countless hours of our lives engaged in listening-related activities such as, using the telephone, giving and receiving instructions, helping clients, listening to the radio, etc. According to many experts there is only one thing we do more of than listening and that is breathing. It has been said that effective listening is the basis for all good human relations.  If listening is so important, why is it that so many people are poor listeners? For one thing listening is hard work. It requires deliberate, conscious, consistent effort. Most of us think we are good listeners and that overconfidence could lead to a false sense of security. Also, more focus is put on talking or speaking than on listening. Most people think it is something that comes naturally. Hearing comes naturally, but listening effectively is much more than just hearing. Listening is the ability to receive, interpret and respond to verbal messages and other clues like body language, in ways that are appropriate. It is caring about the person and/or the message, being able to understand the message and focusing our attention.  The biggest contributing factor to miscommunication is people tend to filter out or change the intended meaning of what they hear. In other words, we tend to hear what we expect, or want to hear, and filter out that which is not consistent with our feelings and attitudes. We listen at about 25 percent of our potential, which means we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75 percent of what we hear.   Four Key Elements of Effective Listening  Hear The Message. Care about the speaker's opinions and beliefs. Listen not only to the content but also the intent. Ask for clarification when you don't understand.  Interpret The Message. Pay attention to the tone of voice (voice convey 30 percent of the meaning of a message.) Watch facial expressions or gestures. Notice if body language, tone and words all convey the same message.  Evaluate The Message. Do not jump to conclusions. Weigh and analyze all information before responding. Evaluate the information rather than judge the person.  Respond To The Message. Look and act interested. Repeat information for clarity. Response should let the speaker know the message was heard and understood.  [Positive Talk] [About the Speaker] [Loving Yourself First] [How to Sell Your Book] [Meeting Planners] [Keynotes] [Products] [Contact Linda] [How to Change Your Life] [Request Linda] [Carlson Learning] [Training Programs] [Testimonials] [Appearances] [Home] [Links] L.C. & Associates - P.O. Box 90369, Los Angeles, 90009  lindaspeak@aol.com  Copyright © 2000 L.C. & Associates Privacy Policy