Listening and Non-Verbal skills communication Handouts PDF

Topic Five Listening skills and Nonverbal Communication 1 Learning Objectives 1. Explore what are the Listening skills. 2. Discuss the purpose of Listening. 3. Explain the types of listening skills. 4. Learn the Barriers to Effective Listening 5. Learn how to I...

Topic Five Listening skills and Nonverbal Communication 1 Learning Objectives 1. Explore what are the Listening skills. 2. Discuss the purpose of Listening. 3. Explain the types of listening skills. 4. Learn the Barriers to Effective Listening 5. Learn how to Improve Active Listening Skills. 6. Discuss the Non-verbal Communication and how to improve the non-verbal communication skills. 2 1. Listening Skills Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated (unsatisfied or angry). Listening skills are skills that contribute to accurately receive information when communicating with others. These skills are an important part of effective communication in the workplace. Developing good listening habits can help to ensure the receiver understands the information correctly, interpret messages accurately and optimize conversations and communications for efficiency. The process of interpersonal communicating (8th edn), Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt. 3 The Purpose of Listening There is no doubt that effective listening is an extremely important life skill. Why is listening so important? Listening serves a number of possible purposes, and the purpose of listening will depend on the situation and the nature of the communication. 1. To specifically focus on the messages being communicated, avoiding interruptions. 2. To gain a full and accurate understanding into the speaker’s point of view and ideas. 3. To critically assess what is being said. 4. To observe the non-verbal signals associated with what is being said to enhance understanding. 5. To show interest, concern and concentration. 6. To encourage the speaker to communicate fully, openly and honestly. 7. To develop a selflessness approach, putting the speaker first. 8. To arrive at a shared and agreed understanding and acceptance of both side views. 4 Types of listening skills Below are four types of listening that can help the receiver become a better listener: 1. Deep listening Deep listening occurs when receivers are truly committed to understanding the speaker's perspective and message. Deep listening includes paying attention to verbal and non-verbal signals in order to gain a full understanding of the speaker's experiences, thoughts, feelings and objectives. 2. Full listening Full listening includes trying to fully understand the practical content of a speaker's message. This type of listening often involves active listening skills, like paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions. Full listening can be particularly helpful when interpreting directions, learning new material or developing new skills. 3. Critical listening Critical listening usually involves using previous knowledge or experiences to identify realistic content in communication. Critical listening can be especially important in professions that use persuasive speaking, debating or investigatory skills. 5 4. Therapeutic listening Therapeutic listening is a closer type of listening that often involves receiving information from a speaker about their challenges or emotional situations. In the workplace, this type of listening is often an important part of succeeding in a career that deals with sensitive topics or emotional discussions. Therapists and doctors often benefit from developing their therapeutic listening abilities. Barriers to Effective Listening To improve the process of effective listening, it can be helpful to turn the problem on its head and look at barriers to effective listening, or ineffective listening. ❑ Thinking while listening. ❑ Judging before listening. ❑ Lack of interest. ❑ Excessive Stress. ❑ Lack of trust ❑ No common language ❑ Lack of common goal 6 Improving Listening Skills 1. Be Attentive and Relaxed ❑ Probably the most important part of effective listening is being attentive. Be present and at the moment with the speaker. ❑ Follow along with the words and thoughts they are sharing to build the full picture. Block out distractions, whether that’s street noise or internal thoughts. 2. Maintain Eye Contact and Face the Other Person Keep regular eye contact with the person speaking and have the body facing towards them. The regular eye contact doesn’t mean staring directly at them without batting an eyelid for minutes on end. It means, in general, keeping eyes focused on them and their eyes. 3. Listen and Paint a Picture Allow the mind to paint a mental picture of what is being said. This could be an accurate picture in the mind or it may be more abstract involving concepts and ideas. Combine listening attentively with mind creating a mental picture, it will help to gain greater clarity around what is being said, as well as build a more lasting impression in the mind. 7 4. Do Not Interrupt One of the ways to create bad communication is by interrupting. Think about when there is a verbal fight with someone and both keep interrupting each other to get their point across. Nobody ever gets to fully vocalize about what is upsetting them. It conveys the message that both don’t care what they are saying. 5. Ask Questions to Clarify and Understand The goal here is to ask clarifying questions that will help understand fully what the other person is saying. Wait until the other person stops talking before asking the questions. Do not interrupt them to inject a point of view or ask off-topic questions. Asking tangential type questions can easily take the conversation down a completely different path. 6. Keep an Open Mind It’s important to listen with a fair mind and not mentally judge the speaker. To truly hear someone and to give them a chance to fully share what they are talking about, keep an open mind. If they say something that gives pause or raises some concerns, keep it for the time being. 7. Feel What the Other Person is Feeling To get a good depth of understanding, put yourself in as close to a mindset as the other person is. 8 2. Non-verbal Communication What is Non-verbal Communication? Non-verbal communication occurs without using any oral or written word. Instead of written or oral words, it relies on various non-verbal signs like physical movements, colours, signs, symbols, signals charts, etc. to express feelings, attitudes or information. Although no word is used in non-verbal communication, it can effectively communicate many human feelings more accurately than verbal methods of communication. Facial expression, tone of voice, and body language can often tell people exactly how the speaker feel. Common types of nonverbal communication are; eye contact, attitude and body direction, body language, touch, silence, personal appearance. Eye contact Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the flow of communication, and it signals interest in others. Eye contact with audiences increases the speaker’s credibility (reliability/trust). Teachers or people who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility. 9  Facial expressions The face is an important communicator. It is commonly said that the face is the index of the mind. It expresses the type of emotions or feelings such as joy, love, interest, sorrow, anger, annoyance, confusion, passion, fear, surprise, and uncertainty. Facial expressions are indicated through the mouth (open, wide or closed), eyelids (raised or lowered), nose (wrinkled or relaxed), cheeks (drawn up or back) and the forehead (lowered or raised). Body Language Body language is another widely recognized form of non-verbal communication. Body movements can send meanings and messages. Body language may take two forms of unconscious movements and consciously controlled movements. 10 Within the facial area, eyes are especially effective for indicating attention and interest. However, interpretations of facial expressions differ from culture to culture. For example, when a person is nervous, he may bite his nails or mash hair. These are usually made unconsciously. On the other hand, leaning forward toward the speaker to express interest is the case of conscious body movements. Smiling is a powerful indication that transmits: Happiness. Friendliness. Warmth. Liking. Affiliation. 11  Touch Touch is a widely used form of non-verbal communication tool. By touching, one can express a wide range of emotions. However, the accepted modes of touch vary depending on the gender, age, relative status, and cultural background of the persons. For example, in the context of our culture, when one touches another from the back of the examination hall, his understanding is that he wants to know something. Silence Silence is a powerful tool for communication. It may have a positive or negative meaning. In a classroom, silence indicates that students are listening carefully and attentively. In the same way, through silence one can communicate his lack of interest or a failure to understand. Personal Appearance Appearance is also an important non-verbal communication tool. Appearance includes dress, hair, jewellery, makeup, etc. Appearance indicates the degree of importance or interest a person conveys to an occasion. Through uniform, we can identify a student, a doctor, a lawyer, a police officer, etc. 12 Importance of Nonverbal Communication 1. Well Expression of the Speaker’s Attitude Various non-verbal signs of the speaker like physical movements, facial expression, a way of expression, etc. play an important role in expressing the inner meaning of the messages in face-to-face conversation and interview. For example, the facial expression of the speaker indicates his attitude, determination depth of knowledge, etc. 2. Providing Information Regarding the Sender of The Written Message The format, neatness, language and the appearance of the envelope used in a written message send a non-verbal message regarding the writer’s tests, choice, level of education, etc. 3. Expressing the Attitude of the Listener and Receiver Sometimes the appearance of the listeners and receivers conveys their attitudes, feelings, and thoughts regarding the messages they have read or heard. 13 4. Gaining Knowledge about a Class of People Clothing, hairstyle, neatness, jewellery, cosmetics, and the look of people convey impressions regarding their profession, age, nationality, social or economic level, job status, etc. Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills Control smiles or laugh when messages are serious. Display some animation with hands and facial expressions to project a dynamic presence. (Avoid talking with your hands excessively, which can appear unprofessional). Don’t bring the phone, a drink, or anything else that could confuse you during an interview or meeting. Establish frequent but not continuous eye contact with interviewers. Focus on the conversation. In a group interview, shift eye contact to the various speakers. Keep your hands away from face and hair. Listen carefully, and do not interrupt. Maintain open arms; folded arms can convey (reflect) defensiveness. Control the voice tone to express excitement and punctuate key points. Observe the reaction of others to the statements. 14  Read the nonverbal signals of others. Provide clarification if they look confused, and wrap up if they have heard enough. Avoid looking at the clock, phone, or displaying any other signs of disinterest. Respect the amount of personal space preferred by the communication partners. Rotate eye contact with various speakers in group interviewing or networking situations. Show interest in what the interviewer is telling. Smile to indicate that you are pleased with the conversation. Stay calm even whenever nervous. The End 15