effective business communication (listening)

8/10/2019 Effective Business Communication (Listening)

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Speaking

Listening

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Benefits of listening effectively:1. To get the information we need to complete the

task2. To assess competence and trustworthiness3. To show competence and trust

4. To show respect and to build rapport5. To monitor the speaker’s style in order to achieve

better communication6. To understand how to influence others7. To empathise

8. To understand the mindset of the other people9. To hear if our ideas are understood and valued10. To give pleasure

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The ROI (Return on Investment) on listeningeffectively in the workplace:

Better relationships with more trust More motivated staff

Higher productivity

Increased creativity Improved quality

More efficient information flow

Fewer mistakes and lower costs

Happier customers

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1. People-focused listeners

This kind of listener focuses on supportingthe speaker by being attentive to feelings and

needs. He or she has a lot of patience andasks questions such as ‘What do you think? orHow do you feel about this? This helpsspeakers to give their views and to feel that

they are being listened to.

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2. Information-oriented listeners

This kind of listener likes to collect andanalyse information in order to understandthe situation as fully as possible. They usually

take the time to listen to all the informationso that the right decision can be taken.



3. Result-oriented listeners

The main interest for these listeners is toachieve their goals as quickly and efficientlyas possible. They often have little patience for

what they see as irrelevant information, andcan be frustrated by speakers who talk fortoo long in an unfocused way. Some speakersmay see result-oriented listeners as arrogant.

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Question:

Which type of listener are

you primarily?

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Read the Speaker-Listener dialogues belowand think about why listening is nothappening effectively in each case. Think interms of the message, the speaker, and thelistener.

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Speaker: So, what do you think about myrecommendation on pricing?

Listener: What? Oh, sorry. Look, I’m not sureI’m the right person to ask.

Speaker: But you’re in charge of sales, aren’t you?

Listener: Yes, but I’m really busy now. Can we

discuss this tomorrow?

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Speaker: So, the fifth aspect of this problem is…….

Listener: Sorry to interrupt, but what was thefourth aspect? I didn’t catch that.

Speaker: The fourth aspect was finance.Remember?

Listener: Oh, that was number four. Sorry. Are

there many more points?

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Speaker: I think we need to look at the terribleproblem that we have in our team.

Listener: I don’t think we should use the word‘problem’ here.

Speaker: OK, well let’s say ‘issue’ then. Weneed to discuss how we can ……

Listener: Sorry, but this is a decision for the

team leader, not for us. I suggest wearrange a meeting with her as soonas possible.

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Our ability to listen is affected by three mainfactors (the message, the speaker, and thelistener), which are illustrated by what isgoing wrong in the three dialogues.

1. The message

In the first dialogue, the listener feels that

this is not a relevant message. In the seconddialogue, the listener is confused by thecomplexity of the explanation.

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2. The speaker

This is a factor in the third dialogue, inwhich the listener wants to involve theteam leader rather than waste timediscussing a subject with a speaker who is

not seen as having responsibility for theissue. Some listeners may also pay lessattention if the speaker lacks status.

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The key to becoming a better listener isATTITUDE. We need to believe that otherpeople are really worth listening to, and thatit is important to give others the chance to

express themselves. Thus, both speaker andlistener can learn and benefit each other.

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1. Empty your mind of your own thought when the other

person begins to speak.

Make yourself concentrate fully on what is being said.Focus on hearing interesting and important information.Respect what is said and this is an opportunity to learnsomething new about the person.

2. Support the start of a conversation by encouraging

others to talk.

Do this by asking questions, as this creates goldenopportunities for listening.

3. Give others time to say what they want to say.

Try to become comfortable with the silence that othersmay need in order to formulate their ideas.

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4. Respond to what is said.

When we listen, we need to make two basic typesof response. We need to show that weunderstand what has been said (I understand) ;and that we value what has been said (I think thisis important because….). Otherwise, speakersmay become confused or unwilling to go ontalking to us.

5. Give positive feedback both verbal and non verbal

in ways that the speaker will interpret as positive.

6. Clarify what is said.

Never assume that you have understoodsomething correctly. It is particularly important toclarify when working, especially when you areconfused.



7. Develop conversations by asking questions and making relevant

comments.

Good listeners create opportunities for listening. Make sure that youengage others by asking questions that invite them to talk in depthabout topics that they find interesting.

8. Give yourself feedback on your own listening performance.

Ask yourself the following questions as you listen. Am I fullyconcentrating on the other person? Am I becoming impatient? Am Iasking the right questions and paying enough attention? Etc.

9. Know when to stop listening and end the conversation.

Summarize as much as necessary to avoid any misunderstanding.Make sure that the conversation ends positively.

10. Control yourself.

Keep your negative emotions under control. Even if you feel thespeaker is attacking you or not showing you respect. Try to remaincalm. If you feel tired or start to lose interest, move, change position,stand up and walk around if you can, breathe deeply a few times.

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Answer the following questions:1. Why should we listen to other people?

2. What kind of listener are you?

3. What stops us from listening effectively?4. How can you become a better listener?

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effective business communication (listening)

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