Unit 7: Communication Skills

Responding Behaviors : Active Listening

Active listening is a process of giving nonjudgmental feedback to the speaker as a way of checking on the accuracy of what has been heard. There are many reasons that a listener could misinterpret a message, for example:

• Messages are often cloaked in socially acceptable language. This is done by speakers to keep from offending someone or for reasons of personal security. For example, the speaker may really want to test the listener’s ability to work under pressure but may simply say, “These reports are filed quarterly so I’ll need all your data by next Friday.”

• Some speakers will “beat around the bush” for fear of coming across too assertively or risking disapproval. Therefore, the true meaning of their messages is obscured.

• Listeners may respond to subjective factors about a speaker’s behavior or manner rather than to the messages.

There are four types of active listening techniques:

1. Clarifying,

2. Paraphrasing,

3. Reflecting feelings, and

4. Summarizing.