Team Transformation 1
- 2. Listening is one of the most important skills you can have when it comes to great communication. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others.
- 3. Active Listening is a Model for Respect and Understanding These “active listening” techniques will help to ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. Without active listening we will be missing one of the most important aspects of great communication.
- 4. How Well Do You Really Listen? • Poor listeners "hear" what's being said, but they rarely "listen" to the whole message. • They get distracted by their own thoughts or by what's going on around them, and they formulate their responses before the person they're talking to has finished speaking. Because of this, they miss crucial information. • Good listeners, on the other hand, enjoy better relationships, because they fully understand what other people are saying. Their team members are also more productive, because they feel that they can discuss problems easily, and talk through solutions
- 5. Prepare To Listen • Good preparation is essential for effective listening. Without it, it's hard to listen to people successfully. • Before you have an important conversation, remove anything that may distract you from it, so that you can focus, and so that you can show the other person that she has your full attention. Switch off your cell phone, turn off instant messaging and email alerts, put your work away, close your meeting room door, and do what you can to make sure that you won't be interrupted. • If you know that you won't be able to offer the other person your full attention – for example, if you're working on an urgent task – schedule a better time to speak. However, make sure that the other person knows that the conversation is important to you.
- 6. RESPECT To Listen Effectively, Prepare To Listen
- 7. Be An Active Listener • The way to improve your listening skills is to practice "active listening." This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. • In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully.
- 8. 1. Pay Attention • Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly. • Look at the speaker directly. • Put aside distracting thoughts. • Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! • Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. • "Listen" to the speaker's body language .
- 9. 2. Show That You're Listening • Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. • Nod occasionally. • Smile and use other facial expressions. • Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. • Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh.
- 10. RESPECT Let The Other Person Know That You Are Listening
- 11. 3. Provide Feedback • Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. • Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back. • Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?" • Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.
- 12. RESPECT Ask questions to clarify certain points, Paraphrase to complete understanding
- 13. 4. Defer Judgment • Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. • Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. • Don't interrupt with counter arguments.
- 14. 5. Respond Appropriately • Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. • Be candid, open, and honest in your response. • Assert your opinions respectfully. • Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated.
- 15. RESPECT Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated.
- 16. A TEAM IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK
- 17. Key Points • It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening skills are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking to do! • Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different! • Start using active listening techniques today to become a better communicator, improve your workplace productivity, and develop better relationships.
- 18. GREAT COMMUNICATION Takes commitment Practice A firm resolution to initiate change and see it through
- 19. SUCCESS! How will YOU contribute to your Team’s success?