Active Listening

Listening is a critical part of communication in a work environment, yet it is often overlooked in the daily execution of job roles and teamwork.  How we communicate through providing clear, concise, and constructive information to team members is certainly important, but listening plays a role that is just as important, if not more important. Furthermore, listening is about more than just being silent and hearing what a person says; it requires active and empathetic actions on the part of the listener; this type of listening is called Active Listening.

There are three dimensions of active listening: sensing, processing, and responding.  Sensing is the first and most basic dimension of active listening.  When you sense communication, you are not only hearing the words that a person is saying, but you are identifying implied messages by observing non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language.  Have you ever had someone apologize to you about something they did, but despite the sincerity of their words, their tone and body language told you that they weren’t actually sorry? My kids do this all the time. All these factors are essential when listening to another person.

Processing is the second dimension of active listening and involves evaluating the information that is sensed.  Four functions are nearly simultaneously involved when processing.  The first is to understand the meaning of what is communicated. The second is to interpret the underlying implications of the message.  The third is to evaluate various cues and signals that are portrayed by the person speaking. The last is to commit the information to memory. Processing takes all the sensed information (words, tone, and non-verbal cues) and puts it all together, while also comparing the information received to other information already known by the listener.  For example, suppose someone is communicating their thoughts about a new movie that they watched. In that case, the listener will take into consideration the meaning of the words, the body language of the person, and any other information they may already know about that movie such as their knowledge of the actors or movie genre.

Finally, after sensing and processing, an active listener will respond.  Responding is not about answering questions or providing their own opinion about whatever is being communicated.  Responding is about acknowledgement of what was understood; letting the person speaking know that the listener hears and understands what was communicated. Responses may be verbal or non-verbal in nature.

There are four fundamental responding skills related to effective, active listening.  The first skill is asking questions.  An active listener will ask open-ended questions to gain more information, and they will ask clarifying questions to ensure they understand what is being communicated. The second skill is reflecting feelings.  An active listener will have empathy for the speaker by putting themselves in the speaker's “shoes.” Reflecting helps clarify that the listener understands the feelings and emotions behind what is being communicated.  The third skill is paraphrasing.  An active listener will paraphrase information to ensure they understand the speaker.  Paraphrasing is a way of saying the same thing in fewer or different words to help the speaking know that what they said is being understood in the way they intended. Finally, the fourth skill is summarizing.  Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing but involves providing a summary of multiple aspects of what is being communicated.

Active listening is not always required in every conversation at work, but the skills of active listening can be used in many situations and are especially effective when working through situations that are high in stress, emotion, or opinion.  While active listening is often a topic of leadership training, the skill is extremely important for everyone; it is something that everyone can benefit from at work and home. The next time you find yourself in a conversation with someone, think about whether you are actively listening. Does the speaker know that you understand what they said and the intent of what they said?  How do they know? Have you asked questions, used body language, reflected, paraphrased, and summarized?  The more you know these methods, and the more you practice them, the better you will be at active listening.  You may even find strengthened relationships, reduced interpersonal conflict, and increased trust with others.

References

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Ivy, D. K. (2017). Communication: Principles for a Lifetime. Pearson.

Burley-Allen, M. (1995). Listening: The Forgotten Skill. John Wiley & Sons.

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Free Press.

Dwyer, J. (1984). Effective Interpersonal Communication. Scott Foresman & Co.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.

Mehrabian, A. (1971). Silent Messages: Implicit Communication of Emotions and Attitudes. Wadsworth.

Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory. Houghton Mifflin.