Active Listening

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Active Listening
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Overview of Presentation

• What is active listening?
• Why do we practice it?
• How do we practice it?

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What is active listening?

• Active listening involves
• communicating verbally and nonverbally
• practicing uninterrupted listening
• restating the message
• observing the senders nonverbal signals

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Why practice active listening?

• Helps us understand others better
• Show others we respect them
• Allows us to receive accurate messages
• Enables us to respond appropriately

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How to practice active listening

• Physical environment
• Attending posture SOLER
• Listening skills
• Questioning skills

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Physical environment

• Ensure privacy
• Minimize interruptions
• Eliminate barriers

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Attending posture

• Nonverbal skill SOLER
• S squarely face person
• O use open posture
• L lean toward the person
• E use eye contact
• R relax, keep it natural

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Listening skills

• Reflective statements get at the real meaning
• Nonverbal and verbal cues often conflict!
• Recognize nonverbal posture Its the real thing!

bored
closed
overwhelmed
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Questions skills

• Ask questionsnot too many
• Avoid why questions
• Ask open-end questions

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Active Listening