Active Listening : Are You a Great Listener?

According to the recent survey conducted in India on how members spent time on communicating, 63% of their time was spent on listening to one another.Listening is an important aid to communication.In the process of learning, listening plays a great role.How ever listening is a communication skill used most often in human interaction  still not a skill which most people perform well.

Listening and Hearing are two different aspects.As a user for you to achieve many steps in the career ladder you must understand the importance of effective listening as it can be named as the most important aspect in communication.

We listen to people we like  and We like to listen to people we like but effective listening is not listening to the people you like.Still after little bit of marketing you need to make people listen to you.That is the talent.unless you listen you will not able to complete communication process.

Listening Process:

Selecting Stage: The listener selects, from among a multiple of stimuli, the only one which seems to be important at the point of that time and convert it to a message.

Interpreting Stage: The listener is engaged in the act of decoding the message.

Evaluating Stage: A great deal of critical listening takes place in this stage.The listener assign a meaning to the message, draw interfaces, takes an overview of the message , and accuracy of information and evidence.

Responding Stage: This is the stage where the listener is ready to respond.This can be verbal or non verbal.

 Memory Stage: This is the final stage of listening. Effective listening helps listeners to retain chunks of what we heard.Though "Memorability" is one of the most important aspect very less number of speakers do remember what they listened.

Advantages of listening:

1. It breaks barriers between people.
2. We can understand each other.
3. It minimizes the losses of potential revenue by getting to know what the customer really wants.
4. Prevent miss communication.
5. It saves time by reducing second or third meeting times to convey the same message.

Lets get to know what LADDER tips for  active listening:

L - Look at the person speaking to you

A  - Ask questions (open ended) / Attention

D - Do not interrupt

D - Do not change the subject 

E - Empathize

R - Response (verbal or non-verbal)

So an active / efficient listener is as above.

Benefits of listening to the Leaders and Teams:

Listening helps to know the organization
Listening helps to bring better policies
Listening forms a bond of respect
Listening increases the productivity
Listening can calm down people
Listening increase accuracy
Listening improve confidence
Listening improves innovation and creativity

Importantly as for a social being  listening helps to spot sensitive areas before they become explosive.

So why not listen?Be an active listener.Practice the skill of listening if you feel that you are are weak in that as it will be a life time investment for both professional and personnel lives.