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Feedback gap

Productive listening

Active and Passive listening skills

Chapter 5
Feedback gap p.10
 

I will be asking many questions.

People often say that I'm not a good listener. The other day a team member said that I don't hear what he is saying and that I should brush up on my "Active listening skills". I don't know what he meant.

Can you give me some guidelines?

Effective listening skills are of crucial importance in business, especially if you want to hear beyond what a customer is saying. It is important to understand the difference between "Passive Listening" and "Active Listening", for both encompass a set of skills you need in order to be effective in your communication with colleagues and customers.

 I will attempt to give direct answers.
I will provide explanatory information.

Passive listening techniques focus on keeping the communication flowing. It encourages the speaker to “open up”.

Passive listening:

 

  • Pay attention to the speaker.

  • Avoid judgmental or defensive responses.

  • Exert mild pressure on the speaker to keep on talking, explaining and elaborating.

  • Create the space the speaker needs to verbalize his real needs, opinion or doubts.

Acknowledgement:

Can simply be done by nodding the head and leaning forward, or through the use of expressions like:

  • "I see"

  • "Yes..."

  • "Hmm..."

  • "Really", etc.

Avoid evaluative acknowledgments like:

  • "That's good!"

  • "Excellent!"

  • "Your right.",etc.

Door openers:

Door openers are responses from the listener that encourage the speaker to open up to talk about their needs, expectations, concerns, doubts and fears:

  • "Tell me more about that.."

  • "Help me to understand what you are saying regarding..."

  • "I'm interested to hear what you think of..."

  • "I'd like to hear what you feel about..."

  • "I'd like to hear what you are saying about..."

I will give some advice and insights. Listening is not about keeping quiet, it's about getting involved in what the speaker is saying and facilitating additional communication.
I will be asking many questions. And what about Active Listening?
Active Listening is about ensuring that the receiver in the communication decodes the message transmitted by the sender correctly. Active listening closes the loop in communication, providing feedback to the sender.

The active listener verbally shares impressions or understanding with the sender by paraphrasing back perceptions of the message.

 I will attempt to give direct answers.
Listening skills

The following phrases may be used when you want to check your understanding and you wish to create the opportunity for the sender to correct you if you have missed the point, or to elaborate further on the sender’s needs, expectations, doubts, etc.

When you are certain you understand what has been said:

  • "What I hear you saying is..."

  • "From your point of view..."

  • "I'm picking up that you..."

  • "As you see it..."

  • "What I really hear you saying, is that..."

  • "It seems to you..."

  • "You feel..."

When you are less certain that you understand, the following creates the opportunity for the sender to correct you:

 

  • "I think I hear you saying..."

  • "I wonder if I am correct when I say that..."

  • "It appears you.."

  • "I'm not sure I'm wrong with you but..."

  • "Correct me if I am wrong but..."

  • "Is it possible that..."

  • “Let me see if I understand you...”
I will give some advice and insights.

I trust you understand what was meant by “Listening beyond what the customer is saying”.

Acting upon this information is the true key to agility in business.
Extra resources:
More resources:
Copyright © 2005 Next S Business Development (PTY) LTD.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, used for commercial purposes or edited in any way without the permission of the copyright owner.
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