Effective listening involves accurately perceiving what is being communicated and involves different types of listening like content, critical, and empathic listening. The listening process includes receiving, interpreting, remembering, evaluating, and responding to messages. Some ways to improve listening skills are to look beyond the speaker's style, fight distractions, provide feedback to the speaker, and listen actively by focusing on key points and concepts while keeping an open mind.

1. EFFECTIVE LISTENING

2. LISTENING
• ‘Every good communication starts with
listening.’
• Listening is the accurate perception of what is
being communicated.
• People who listen are trusted more than those
who grab the talking stick
• Good listeners are perceived as competent
and capable of leadership.

3. Types of listening
• Content listening
• Critical listening
• Empathic listening

4. Listening process
• Receiving
• Interpreting
• Remembering
• Evaluating
• Responding

5. IMPROVING YOUR LISTENING
SKILLS
• Look beyond the speakers style
– Don’t judge the message by the speaker but by
the argument
– Ask yourself what the speaker knows and you
don’t
– Decrease the emotional impact of what is being
said.

6. • Fight distractions
– Close doors
– Turn off radios or televisions
– Move closer to the speaker
– Don’t interrupt
– Hold your rebuttal until you’ve heard the entire
message.

7. • Provide feedback
– Let the speaker know that you are paying
attention.
– Maintaining eye contact
– Offer appropriate facial expressions
– Paraphrase what you’ve heard.
– Keep all the criticism and feedback positive.

8. • Listen actively
– Listen for concepts, ideas and
facts.
– Analyse the key points
– Keep an open mind
– Ask questions that clarify
– Reserve judgement until the
speaker has finished.
– Take meaningful notes that
are brief and to the point.