Listening

One of the best way to persuade others is by listening to them.

Listening and hearing should not be one and same. Hearing takes place when sound waves strike the ears, best listening is more than hearing getting meaningful understanding out of the message. Listening means receiving message in thoughtful manner that leads to an understanding of the meaning the messages.

Why is listening important in business communication?

It is important because of following reason.

• Listening assume importance with advancement of carrier.
• Listening is vital for carrier success.
• Because of poor listening creates misunderstanding.
• Listening ensure trust.
• Listening is useful for learning.

Listening assume importance with advancement of carrier

It is an important event in communication process about one third of human communication is spent in speaking, writing and reading. As a man climbs the ladder of his carrier, his time spent on listening increase.

Listening is vital for success

Listening skills plays very important role in carrier success, whether as a general manager, salesperson, personal manager etc. It helps a salesman to discover the needs of people and market his product and services efficiently and effectively. The manager who can listen to his subordinate attentively and efficiently understand his needs, problems and can better motivate him for higher performance seek first to understand than to be understood.

Because of poor listening, occurs misunderstanding

Misunderstanding is created by the poor listening attempting to communicate positive message can convey negative and opposite of the message. If the listener possesses wrong perceptions and prejudices. Effective listening requires clear mind.

Listening ensure trust

Listening build trust we trust people who listen to us. And we are more open to their influence and guidance.

Listening is useful for learning

Listening is related for learning that one may almost say. No listening no learning. Our mind and heart more accept for learning ideas and opinion, if we pay a little more attention to our listening habits.

Type of listening

• Pretend listening
• Attentive listening
• Selective listening
• Emphatic listening
• Listening for mutual creativity

Þ Pretend listening

It means pretend through facial expressions that communicate message listened. Here, nothing like listening takes place, just hearing is there.

Þ Selective listening

Selective listening means not taking the message as it is. Here selecting the desired part and ignoring the undesired part of the message. Selective listening focuses on desired message only.

Þ Attentive listening

It involves paying attention on the words that are being spoken rather than understanding the head and heart of the person speaking. Attentive listening pays attention to words only.

Þ Emphatic listening

It involves listening not only through ear but also through eyes and heart. It is listening intently and intensively to understand the person fully, deeply both emotional as well as intellectually.

Þ Listening for mutual creativity

Synergistic listening contributes to mutual creativity. The higher listening is synergistic listening. Synergy means that whole is greater than sum of its parts. Listening for creativity not only smooth but accelerates the understanding process through communication of heart and mind.

Barriers to effective listening

o Hearing problem

o Rapid thoughts

o Overload of message

o Egotism

o Perceptions

o Faulty assumption

o Cultural difference

o Lack of training

How to make effective listening

Stop talking as you can not listen during talking.

Your body and mind to ensure that you are free from negative emotions, which interrupt the listening process, and you are feeling may relax.

Avoid any external distraction if there is any like playing of TV. Or radio, noise in the near place, attending somebody else etc.

Put the talker of ease with smiling face and sweet words, so that he can communicate frankly and fearlessly.

Demonstrate your interest in the talker speech through facial expression or active questioning, related with the topic.

Be patient and allow the talker sufficient time to clarify his point. Do not interrupt him.

Suspend the judgement for the time being to avoid premature evaluation and judgement.

Free your mind from supposition and preconceived ideas being aware of them.