This document discusses effective listening skills. It outlines some common barriers to listening like lack of time and attention. It provides tips for active listening such as maintaining eye contact, avoiding interruptions, and asking relevant questions. The document also discusses different types of feedback in listening like compliments, confrontation, and criticism. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of open-mindedness, suspending judgment, and thinking strategically when listening.

1. EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS NACM Western Region Credit Conference Las Vegas, NV October 6, 2006 Mark D. Carlos President www.mcsideas.com

2. Effective Listening Skills What is Listening? a gift ( of TIME ) a master skill

3. Barriers to Listening Takes time Takes a clear mind Emotional state Bias or prejudice Semantics & languages Noise & verbal “clutter” Boredom Shrinking attention span

4. Listening Tips Eye Contact Relaxed attention Open mind Word pictures No interruptions / solutions Wait for pauses to ask Q’s Ask relevant Q’s only Feel the speaker’s feelings Give feedback Think about what’s NOT said

5. Feedback Skills Listen “out loud” by: Offering verbal cues Relevant questions Paraphrasing statements Reflections Affirmations Offering non-verbal cues Smiles and frowns Hand & body gestures Eye contact / movements

6. Types of Feedback Compliments Confrontation Criticism

7. Perceptual Skills Visual perceptions include: Motor Focus on foreground Discrimination Memory Closure Tracking Integration Language Association Language Classification

8. Perceptual Skills Auditory Perception includes: Discrimination Closure Memory Visual Integration Focus on foreground Integration Language Association Language Classification Visual Coordination

9. Interpreting Information Open-Mindedness is VITAL Review of goals, basis or premise Organize the data into logical groups Categories Chronological Measurements

10. Why People React Negatively Rejection Denial Ignoring Defensiveness Yes, but…. Anger Withdrawal Passivity Aggression Fake Agreement

11. Increasing Awareness of Varying Points of View Not everyone sees the sky as blue - not as you do Not blue at all Not the same blue Not all blue Not just blue

12. The Importance of Suspending Value Judgments - Waiting for More Information Allow yourself to absorb an entire thought or series of thoughts Arrive at conclusions naturally and gracefully Don’t jump to conclusions too soon

13. Learning Semantic Flexibility – The Impact on the Thinking Process Table How many legs? What kind of wood or metal? What size? Dog What size and weight? What color? A pet or a trained purpose?

14. Thinking Strategically Motivation + Audience + Description ---------------------- Effective Communication

15. EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS Takes Commitment and Practice www.mcsideas.com