Listening Effectively

Everyone can be a better listener. Using the concepts of what we think, feel, and do about listening, Dr. Kline promotes the need for honing this often neglected communication skill. He presents logical, practical methods that will help you to become a better listener in your personal and professional life in everyday and critical situations.Listening is the neglected communication skill. While all of us have had instruction in reading, writing, and speaking, few have had any formal instruction in listening. This void in our education is especially interesting in light of research showing that most of us spend seven of every 10 minutes we are awake in some form of communication activity. Of these seven minutes (or 70 percent of the time we are awake), 10 percent is spent writing, 15 percent reading, 30 percent talking, and 45 percent listening.

Listening Effectively takes a "how to" approach to the listening process. Everyone can be a better listener. This book provides information to help in a logical and practical way. To lay the groundwork for the rest of the book, the first chapter presents the need for better listening. This discussion covers, among other things, the fact that few people have ever received any formal training in effective listening. Some real-life examples of the need for better listening are given. The second chapter focuses on things we think are true about listening, but are not; that is, common fallacies about listening. Those who know these fallacies can probably use a refresher. And those who haven't been exposed to them before should benefit greatly, though some may find it difficult to release erroneous beliefs. The third chapter discusses the listening process, from receiving sound waves to taking action on remembered instructions. Five steps of the process are explained: receiving, attending, understanding, responding, and remembering. Examples are provided to aid each step of the process. The fourth chapter discusses the five types of listening informative, relationship, appreciative, critical, and discriminative. Emphasis is given on how to adjust to each listening situation. The last chapter presents guidelines for effective listening. This discussion covers what we think, how we feel, and what we do about listening. Effective listening has a great deal to do with all of those. I hope this book will help everyone who reads it to become a better listener.

Communicating Effectively For Dummies shows you how to get your point across at work and interact most productively with bosses and coworkers. Applying your knowledge and skill to your job is the easy part; working well with others is often the hard part. This helpful guide lets you maximize your personal interactions, even when resolving conflicts, dealing with customers, or giving difficult presentations. Whether you’re the CEO of a major corporation, a small business owner, or a team manager, effective and clear communication is imperative to your success. From keeping your listener engaged to learning to become a better listener, Communicating Effectively For Dummies offers all the strategies, tips, and advice you need to: Learn how to become an active listener Accentuate the positive in negative situations Find win-win solutions for conflicts Stay on track when writing e-mails and letters Handle presentations, interviews, and other challenges Speak forcefully and assertively without alienating others Management consultant Marty Brounstein — author of Handling the Difficult Employee and Coaching and Mentoring For Dummies — gives you the keys to a thriving career with expert advice on effective verbal and nonverbal communication. From mastering your own facial expressions (and reading them in others) to being a happy boss, Brounstein covers all the angles: Becoming aware of your own assumptions Dealing with passive-aggressive communicators What to say to help someone open up to you Communicating through eye contact and body language Maintaining a positive attitude Dealing with sensitive issues Effective conflict resolution models When to use e-mail, the phone, or a face-to-face meeting Dealing with angry customers Coaching your staff to communicate better In today’s high-stress work environment, good communication skills are imperative for keeping your cool and getting your point across. Knowing what to say and how to say it, as well as being a good listener, can often be the difference between getting ahead and just getting by. This handy, friendly guide shows you how to avoid common conflicts and make your voice heard in the office.

Here is a unique perspective for aspiring and practicing educational leaders to expand their problem-solving and conflict-resolution strategies. Starting_with_an exploration of listening problems and solutions, this book evolves into an examination of how people perceive reality, what motivates them, and what happens when their needs are not met. This book suggests new ways to understand the people with whom we interact, thus giving the reader useful information on how to communicate with them effectively.

Do you want to improve your relationships and productivity, all by simply changing your listening habits? Listening is the forgotten communication skill, but arguably, the most significant. It is a crucial part of our ability to engage and communicate with others. Listening actively, however, takes this skillset up a level. Almost everyone sincerely believes that they listen effectively; however, good listening skills are rare. Most of us have never been taught the habits that would make us effective listeners, so they need to be practiced and developed. As you develop your listening with purpose, understanding and empathy, you will build better trust and stronger relationships. You already understand the importance of quality communication. But good communication is built not on speaking but on listening. When we learn to actively listen-to listen well-this ability resonates through all our relationships and interactions. Research has found that by listening actively, you will obtain more information, increase others' trust in you, reduce conflict, and better understand the message being delivered. In 10 easy steps, you can go from being a poor listener to an excellent one. At each step, you'll learn how to navigate the pitfalls of strained communication, transforming your ability to exchange accurate, complete information and deepen emotional understanding and connectedness. You'll discover 10 easy-to-learn steps to becoming a better listener, with practical examples of do's and don'ts. These strategies will teach you how to: Focus your attention Listen with purpose and empathy Improve as a leader Develop healthier relationships Each chapter in this book will teach you about a vital component of active listening. While listening sounds simple, it's anything but. Listening well, listening deeply, is an interconnected, complex process. But the result is well worth the effort, equipping you to undo the damage to your relationships inflicted by shallow or dismissive listening. Are you ready to take the leap and completely change your listening? If you're prepared to be amazed by the improvement in your personal productivity and interpersonal relationships, start reading!

""Provide useful insight into the principle of accurate reading ; Evaluates the characteristics of a good reader ; Offer handy tips to improve reading skills."--Cover.

If we want children to be successful, confident, independent learners, we need to relearn the skill of truly listening. The Voice of the Child builds on a number of theories which recognise the importance of interacting with, and listening, to the children in our care, and demonstrates how these can be put into practice - listening, communicating and hearing the voice of the child effectively. The book addresses each phase of a child’s development, from birth through to five years, and explains how communication skills can be used to support individual children’s specific needs. Chapters offer practical tips and strategies to help early years practitioners to listen and communicate in such a way as to encourage and enhance the development of a child’s speech and language skills. With case studies and reflective questions included throughout, the book highlights the importance of listening to children in order to keep them safe, ensure they feel included in their community, and to promote their confidence and self-esteem. The Voice of the Child is essential reading for early years practitioners and students, including those on Childhood Studies courses, who want to gain a clear understanding of how their own communication skills can impact on the child.