Effective listening

The ability to listen effectively is a vital skill because most part of our learning comes from
listening. Listening skill also supports effective relationship within the organization and
enhances the functions of the organization. An individual with good listening skill can
increase knowledge, broaden experience, develop more and deeper friendships, get more
job opportunities and promotions. No one is born with the ability to listen effectively, it is a
skill that can be learned and improved through practice.
Listening is the important counterpart to speaking. We speak to inform, to entertain, or to
persuade one or many listeners. We listen to gather information and to acquire knowledge.
As a student you have to listen to lectures, instructions, etc. As a professional you would
have to listen to customers, your boss, peers, subordinates, etc. Whatever may be the
circumstances if you do not listen effectively, you are likely to land yourself in trouble or in
an embarrassing situation.
Effective listening often depends upon our understanding of the speaker, his attitude, his
purpose and many other qualities.
Listening is a process of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a message received from the
speaker. Hearing and listening are not same. Hearing is a physiological process
involving the vibration of sound waves on the eardrums and reacting to the electro
chemical impulses and carried from the inner ear to the central auditory system of the
brain. This process is automatic and fast. On the other hand, listening requires voluntary
attention and then making sense of what is heard. It requires a conscious effort to interpret
the sounds, grasp the meaning of the words and react to the message. For hearing you do
not require physical cues but for listening you take the physical cues in terms of eyes and
gestures - to get the message effectively.
Listening =hearing +comprehending +interpreting +responding
Types of listening
1. Passive listening The physical presence but mental absence of the listener is called
passive listening or hearing.
2. Empathetic listening when we listen to a distressed friend who wants to vent his
feelings, we provide emotional and moral support in the form of empathetic listening.
Example When psychiatrists listen to their patients, their listening is classified as
empathetic listening.
3. Comprehensive listening This type of listening is needed in the classroom when
students have to listen to the teacher to understand and comprehend the message. Similarly,
when someone is giving you directions to find the location of a place, comprehensive
listening is required to receive and interpret the message.
4. Critical Listening When the purpose is to accept or reject the message or to evaluate it
critically, one requires this type of listening.
Example Listening to a sales person before making a purchase or listening to politicians
making their election campaign speech involves critical listening. Similarly, when we read
a book with the objective of writing a book review, we use our critical abilities.
Principles of effective listening
1 Positive Attitude - Positive attitude of the sender towards the other individual or the
situation is necessary. Starting on a negative basis or a bias can be counter productive to
the listening process.
2. Concentration Concentration is the only solution to the improper listening. If the
speaker is boring or monotonous, it is difficult for the listener to remain alert and
concentrate. Concentration can be achieved by a continuous desire on the part of the
respondent not to miss out any of the important issues under discussion.
3. Interaction Interaction ensures greater participation and thus helps in more effective
listening.
4. Question answer technique It breaks the monotony of the listening and increases
the level of interaction. Raising queries, not merely for the sake of gaining attention is
again a very good strategy of breaking the monotony of the interaction.
Effective listening skill has many benefits
i) Helps to understand the views of the co workers
ii) helps to establish rapport with the co workers quickly
iii) improve the intellectual ability to understand and evaluate the views and opinions
expressed by others.
iv) Enables to gather views, opinions and feelings of others on a particular topic
v) enables to gather proper and correct information
vi) enables to facilitate appropriate decision making ability