LISTENING SKILLS
Chapter 3.2
Business Communication and Presentation
LISTENING
The most frequent form of communication
 People spend more than half of their waking time
communicating.
 Much of this time is spent listening.
 The higher your position in a company, the more
time you spend listening to others.

THE LISTENING PROCESS
Hearing
Focusing
Attention
Understanding
Remembering
•Detecting sounds
•Concentrating on the speaker and what
he or she says
•Attaching meaning to the speaker’s
message
•Recalling a message you have seen or
heard
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3.2 Listening Skills
TYPES OF LISTENING
Casual listening
 Active listening
 Informative listening
 Evaluative listening
 Emphatic listening
 Reflective listening

© Photodisc / Getty Images
Casual listening is relaxed and
involves little energy or effort.
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3.2 Listening Skills
CASUAL LISTENING
Hearing and understanding a message but not
trying to remember the message in the long term
 Passive listening
 Examples

Watching a movie
 Talking at lunch


Expends little energy or effort
ACTIVE LISTENING
Informative
• Obtain information or understand a message
• Doctors talking with patient
• Interviewers talking with an applicant
Evaluative
•Judging the importance or accuracy of a speaker
•Critical listening
•Presidential Candidates Speech
Emphatic
•Trying to understand the speaker’s point of view, attitudes, or
emotions
•Resolving problems
Reflective
•Understanding and restating speaker’s message
•Guidance counselor talking to a student about career goals
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
LISTENING

Attitudes about the speaker or topic
Appearance, mannerisms, tone of voice, body language
 Too detailed or long, Uninterested in message, Too
technical

Prejudices or opinions
 Assumptions
 Environmental Distractions

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
Physical discomfort


Ringing phone, eating during a speaker’s presentation
Room temperature, headache or illness
Divided focus

Daydreaming, notetaking
3.2 Listening Skills
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LISTENING EFFECTIVELY

Share the responsibility

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



Focus on the main idea
Evaluate the message
Provide feedback
Take notes
Overcome poor listening habits
Listening in specific situations
Small groups
 Conference settings

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3.2 Listening Skills
WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS
Employee and manager relationships
 Coworker relationships
 Customer relationships

Be fair and honest in your
dealings with customers.
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3.3 Teamwork
RESOLVING CONFLICTS
Listen and talk with coworkers
 Identify the underlying cause of the conflict
 Focus on issues or behaviors, not on people
 Think objectively
 Be willing to admit your mistakes and apologize
 Avoid assigning blame
 Do your part to make the proposed solution work

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3.3 Teamwork
WSpecial
ORKPLACE TEAMS
teams

Advantages of teams
 Disadvantages of teams
 Virtual teams

© Blend Images / Getty Images
Workplace teams are a trend in
American companies.11
3.3 Teamwork
WORKING EFFECTIVELY IN
TTeam
EAMS
roles


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
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
Leader
Challenger
Doer
Thinker
Supporter
Recorder
Learning to work together
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3.3 Teamwork
GUIDELINES FOR TEAM
SIdentify
UCCESS
the goals and determine tasks

Identify resources
 Assign duties
 Communicate regularly
 Resolve conflicts
 Brainstorm ideas
 Evaluate procedures
 Celebrate success

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3.3 Teamwork
PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS
Identify the problem
 Describe effects of the problem
 Brainstorm solutions
 Evaluate the possible solutions
 Test the selected solution
 Evaluate the results

Brainstorming is generating ideas or
possible solutions for a problem.
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3.3 Teamwork
SFocus
TANDOUT TEAM MEMBERS
on the team’s goals

Are reliable and responsible
 Contribute ideas and opinions
 Find roles to fill
 Are supportive of team members
 Keep the team’s affairs confidential
 Do not take criticism personally

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3.3 Teamwork
LEADERSHIP
Leadership: providing guidance and inducing others to
act
 Important for managers and other employees
 Career-related student organizations help build
leadership skills

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3.3 Teamwork