Poor listening costs money. It results in lost contacts, inaccurate reports and orders, dissatis ed customers and workers, and lower production output so by the time a verbal message travels from the executive level to the sales level 80% of its content has been lost. The inescapable conclusion is that good listening skills translate not only into better communication but into more dollars as well. This training program will examine the basic structure of listening, de ne the skills needed for e ective and responsive listening, and teach critical listening techniques. You will learn and practice auditory memory skills, analyze di erent behavioral communications styles, and examine your own message-sending skills. Studying and mastering accurate and e ective listening will enable you to build winning relationships with prospective clients, customers, employees, and team members.

The tools this program provides will make you more e ective. You will see an improvement in the quality of information and feedback you are getting an easier resolution for problems, and shorter and more e ective meetings. You will nd that if you implement constructive listening techniques on a company-wide basis there will be an increase in creative ow between departments, individuals and clients, and a decrease in petty annoyances, complaints, and territorialism.

Objectives

• Learn the value of increased listening skills in your organization.
• Discover and understand the inevitable changes that written and verbal messages undergo.
• Define the skills needed for effective and responsive listening.
• Learn and practice auditory memory skills and analyze different communication styles.
• Examine your own message sending skills.
• Learn the difference between one-way and two-way communication.
• Practice asking the right questions in communication exercises.
• Practice, role-play, problem-solve and discuss.
• Translate what you learn into action.

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Testimonials

"Well organized and planned. Brilliant and professional trainer! The clarity of information, the way that it was presented to the group, and the articulate stories that explained how to apply what we were learning, were all well worth the cost."
Carol Buonopane, Administrator Cortex Corporation

"I felt that my interest was held throughout the presentation. New information was given on a constant level. I learned about evaluating myself to become a better team member, how to improve my listening skills, and that everyone needs to be allowed to input their suggestions."
Cheryl Hurst, Marketing Director Center of Hope

"I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss issues amongst myself and others. I also enjoyed working with the Andrew to receive feedback on our comments."
Karen Hickey, Quality Assurance Supervisor Boston Scientific Corporation

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FACTORS OF LISTENING PROBLEMS

Stress; an individual’s participation will flounder if one is absorbed in other pressing matters. -- Anxiety; rebuttal often takes precedence over what is actually being said, since the fear of forgetting looms within us. -- Environment; we tend to be more interested in the setting and those around us than what is being said. -- Assumptions; we jump to conclusions prior to receiving all the evidence. -- Bias; we discount the statements of those we do not perceive of as important. -- Egocentrism; we discard information that we do not want to hear or that we do not like. -- Passivity; many of us are not actively involved in our surroundings.

IS ANYONE LISTENING TO ME?

Distraction is inevitable if employees are not in tune with personal and company goals and expectations. Although an individual may prefer performing tiny feats of self-adornment, such as reverse rotation thumb twiddling or cubicle spit balling, while listening, colleagues will perceive this restlessness as indifference, as well they should. While we are capable of performing simultaneous tasks, we never do more than one thing at once to perfection, especially when listening is involved. Being an active listener means listening 100 percent. Employees should not do anything which may distract themselves, others and the speaker, such as organizing their desks, answering the telephone, staring out the window, or tapping their fingers while listening. Distraction is not only caused by visual cues but by emotional ones as well.

EVALUATE EMPLOYEES’ LISTENING SKILLS

Recognizing the signs of poor listening is the first step to overcoming communication barriers. There are several reasons why an individual may have difficulty listening, but there are a handful of small flaws that become major problems if left uncorrected. Management with communication deficiencies can filtrate throughout an organization resulting in mis-communication throughout departments. Employees who know how to listen properly can side step certain problems, gaining the information they need no matter what obstacles are present.