forming a judgment or evaluation before
we understand what is being said
making unjustified inferences about the
meaning of what is being said
attributing our own thoughts and ideas
to the speaker causing distortion
being inattentive
having a closed mind
hearing what we wish to hear
fear of being changed ourselves
excessive and incessant talking
So what are the keys to effective listening. The
following list highlights some of the keys:
Stop talking- listen openly and with
empathy to the other person
Try not to be defensive
Look at the person; be patient
Ask the other person for as much detail
as he/she can provide; paraphrase what the other is saying to make
sure you understand it and check for understanding
Respond in an interested way that shows
you understand the problem and the employee's concern
attend to non-verbal cues, body
language, not just words; pay attention to both emotional and
cognitive messages (eg. anger)
stay in an active body state to aid
listening; fight distractions; use eye contact, encouraging gestures
Ask the other for his views or
suggestions
maintain the self confidence and
self-esteem of the other person
lead by example
(at work) take notes; decide on a
specific follow-up action and date
