This document provides an overview of effective listening and nonverbal communication skills. It identifies common barriers to listening such as distractions and discusses how to improve listening through controlling your environment, having a receptive mindset, and taking notes. The document also explains how nonverbal cues like eye contact and body language send important messages and influence interactions. Tips are provided for improving nonverbal skills like being aware of personal space and the messages different appearances convey.

1. Module 1, Lesson 1
The Importance of Listening and Nonverbal
Communication
Adapted from NETA PowerPoint for Essentials of Business Communication by Lisa Jamieson

2. Think of a time you had trouble
listening to someone: what prevented
you from paying full attention?

3. Barriers to Effective Listening
• Physical
• Psychological
• Language
• Distractions
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4. Building Powerful Listening Skills
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•Control surroundings
•Receptive mindset
•Listen for main points

5. Building Powerful Listening Skills:
Continued
• Take notes
• Provide
feedback
• Wait your turn
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6. Your Body Sends Silent Messages

7. Your Body Sends Silent Messages
• Eye contact
• Facial expression
• Posture / gestures
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8. Time, Space, & Territory Send
Messages
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9. Four Zones of Social Interaction
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10. Appearance Sends a Message
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11. Building Strong Nonverbal Skills

12. Building Strong Nonverbal Skills:
Continued

13. Summary
• Identified common barriers to effective listening.
• Discussed how to improve our listening skills.
• Recognized the importance of nonverbal communication.
• Learned how to improve our nonverbal communication
skills.

14. References
Guffrey, M. E., Loewy, D., & Almonte, R. (2019). Essentials of
business communication (9th Canadian Edition).
Nelson.
Jamieson, L. (2019). Chapter 1: Communicating in the
digital-age workplace [PowerPoint slides]. Nelson.
Wired. (2020, October 20). Former FBI Agent Breaks Down
Political Body Language | WIRED [video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/CfNEHW3qgso

15. Image Sources
[Businesswoman with glasses.] [Photograph.] (2020). Dallas Weekly.
https://www.dallasweekly.com/articles/companies-owned-by-black-women-
account-for-89-percent-of-all-new-businesses/
Laflor, D. [n.d.] [Two men in serious conversation.] [Photograph.] Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/difficult-workplace-conversation-
leadership-careers-confrontation_slide.html?sh=31246cf05e07
Marquardt, N. (2012). Hall’s proxemic zones. [Illustration.] ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Halls-proxemic-zones_fig2_254058742
PandaDoc. (2020). [Business proposal.] [Photograph.] PandaDoc.
https://blog.pandadoc.com/how-to-write-a-proposal/
Startaê Team. (2018.) [Man taking notes.] [Photograph.] Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/QEsaXprgVfQ

16. Image Sources
[Tidy cubicle.] [Photograph.][n.d.] Pinterest.
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9e/46/45/9e
46458d80029bc349d4ab661a23357c.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/843650942676745951/&tbnid=_6-
zXbnI_c8J9M&vet=1&docid=verCP9jxdC_SCM&w=600&h=800&itg=1&source=sh/
x/im
[Two men looking bored while woman presents.] [Photograph.] (2018). Management
Training and Development. https://www.management-training-
development.com/employee-relationships/3-reasons-why-your-team-arent-
listening
[Woman intently listening to man.] [Photograph.] (2017). Activated.
https://activated.org/en/relationships/anyone-and-everyone/success-with-
people/being-a-good-listener/
Wonderlane. (2019.) [Messy cubicle.] [Photograph.] Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/6jA6eVsRJ6Q