Thursday, February 25, 2010

Active Listening, Final

The following are classic active listening techniques and examples of their use:

ENCOURAGING To convey interest and encourage the other person to keep talking Don't agree or disagree;
Use neutral words;
Use varying voice intonations "Can you tell me more..."
“That’s interesting….”
“Yes….”

CLARIFYING To help you clarify what is said
To get more information Ask questions;
Restate interpretation
Invite speaker to explain further “You’re saying ...?
”In other words….
“Then the idea is….
“Would you say more about that?
”What does that look like?

RESTATING To show you are listening & understanding what
is being said;
To check your meaning & interpretation Restate basic ideas, facts "In other words..."
"So you’d like to know more about …?"
"Let me see if I understand. You’re saying..."

REFLECTING
(verbal) To show that you understand how the other person feels Reflect the speaker's basic feelings “So this is something to avoid or do more of?”
“You feel strongly about this.

SUMMARIZING To review progress;
To pull important ideas, facts, & feelings together;
To establish as basis for further discussion Restate major ideas expressed including feelings "These seem to be the key points..."
”I hear you saying...
”Let me make sure I understand, you ...

VALIDATING To acknowledge the worthiness of the other person Acknowledge the value of their issues & feelings;
Show appreciation for their efforts & actions "Thanks. I appreciate your willingness to…..
"You’re feeling…?
“How comfortable are you with this?

BUILDING To help build & continue the discussion;
To offer other opinions Ask questions;
Offer ideas or suggestions "Have you considered…
“Another approach is….
“What else comes to mind

REFLECTING
(nonverbal) To convey the speaker's nonverbal message
To clarify the message of the nonverbal message Verbalize the speaker's body language &/or facial expression "I've noticed when you talk about…, you smile. That makes me think….

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