Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Tips For Effective Listening Skills


From My-Personal-Growth, a nice post on how to listen more effectively, a key to good relationships with all the people in our lives. And a brief note - Welcome to friends of Ter Scott!

Tips For Effective Listening Skills

It is very important to possess effective listening skills in every aspect of life in order to be able to send your message out. The ability to listen at work, at home, and in social situations is as important as being able to present well. This also applies to leadership, management or a team member position.
It is important to listen because your understanding of the thoughts and motivation of the other person are increased. Being aware of what motivates the other person is the key to enable you to present your message within that situation, consequently your effectiveness will be improved.
Listed below are a few tips that will assist you greatly in improving your listening skills.
1. Listen with Empathy
People generally listen with the intention to answer. This is what conversations are all about.
You can significantly improve the way that you respond better in a conversation by simply adding the slightest twist. In order to appreciate what the other person is saying from his or her point of view, it is important to listen with intent. During those few moments, do not think about how you wish to respond.
Once you have understood the other person’s views, you can then proceed to respond with your views. However, respond in a way that shows empathy to what you have just heard.
In the American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of empathy is the identification and understanding of another person’s situation, feelings and motives.
This, in no way, means that you are accepting the views and opinions of the other person. It simply means that you have given their point of view your due consideration and understanding.
First, it is important, because you may not have completely understood what they were saying, which can result in an incorrect conclusion. However, by receiving more information, it may be that you change your mind about how you respond.
Second, when the other person is aware of the fact that you are listening to what they are saying, they will respond likewise when you speak. You are appreciated by other people when they are aware that you have given their opinions and views your full attention.
2. Ask the Right Questions
People will open up to you during discussions as well as you receiving a better understanding of any situation when you ask the right questions.
People, on many occasions, have a habit of talking based on their understanding of the situation.
Clarification questions should be asked first. When doing this, avoid asking questions that will result in the answer being “yes” or “no”. Begin with broad based questions that will lead to detailed answers. This will result in information being divulged that you maybe would never have thought of.
Another point to note about asking questions is to ask for clarifications when general statements are referred to. For instance, if a person states that there are certain issues that need addressing, ask for a list of those issues.
The other person will think more about the question when it is asked correctly, which will very often result in you being pleasantly surprised that the other person will arrive at the same conclusion as you, without the need to justify it.
3. Be Patient
Even though the value of listening with empathy and asking the right questions are appreciated, it is not an easy thing to do. You need to tell yourself to listen patiently. To be blunt, you need to tell yourself to “shut up” when other people are talking.
It is simple to inform someone of our opinions as soon as they enter our heads. A great deal of patience is required to listen and hold on to your thoughts. This requires a conscious decision and effort.
4. Give the Right Body Language
Have you ever been holding a discussion with someone in the office, and they have been rude enough to continue checking their emails as you are talking? Or maybe they were looking at their watch every few minutes.
Well, this body language shows that they are not at all interested in what you are saying. If you are too busy to hold a discussion, then the polite thing would be to set another time for the discussion whereby you can give it your full attention.
When the discussion is taking place, lean forward slightly and maintain a comfortable eye contact with the other person.
Taking notes, in appropriate situations, is a good indicator that you consider the points that the other person is putting across as being important. This is also a great way to remember what all of the points were, because it is simple to forget one or two when the discussion is lengthy.
5. Summarize
A good indicator of whether you have listened well to the discussion is by summarizing it. The significance of this is to confirm that you have correctly understood the points that were made.
Making notes in a work environment is important to be able to summarize. If notes have been made, then summarizing can be done faster and more precise. If you have not made notes, then you may ramble through it, based upon what you can remember about the conversation which will not be effective.
To make summarizing more simple, take notes in point format. Another tip, which is a great help, is to add your thoughts to the notes as you go along.
This needs to be done as you will want to put across your thoughts and ideas also, but you are aware of the fact that you need to wait and listen in the first instance. It is simple to forget something if you do not raise it immediately. For this reason taking notes is a very helpful task.
Effective listening will be very difficult if you do not use the points listed above. However, you will be aware of the fact that it is well worth your efforts when you do utilize the techniques and realize that it is more effective in achieving your objectives during discussions and meetings.

I would add one more item to this list, especially when listening to a friend or loved one who is sharing something painful.

6) Don't try to solve the problem or cure the pain of the person sharing with you. The most important thing we can do is listen and validate whatever it is that person is sharing. Too often we want to try to fix things when all the other person really needs is empathy and support. Trying to fix the other person makes us feel better, but it does nothing for the other person -- this is called idiot compassion.


61 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great list and useful pointers. Although for me, I know that few things are as annoying as people who make a point out of "listen well" or apply any particular method in their interactions with me.

I would take someone who is honestly where they are at, even if they are completely absent minded, over someone applying a method to their interaction with me, any day.

Anonymous said...

That picture is adorable. Don't miss the cute little furball in the back of the room.

Anonymous said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog, http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com I enjoyed your article. I will use listening with empathy to get a better understanding of is being said. Asking questions that don't require a "yes" or "no" answer will be beneficial to me as well. Thanks
Diane B., student, Oral Communications Summer Class

Anonymous said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog, http://listenbetternow.blogspot.comI enjoyed your article especially your point about "Listen with Empathy" I never thought of how I was listening to a person's point of view totally, even though I was listening. Also, being patient, that can be very hard for all persons involved in a conversation. You make a very good point with your take on that one, "shut up."
Thank you,
Tammie M. Student Oral Communications

Anonymous said...

I found your site through Ter Scott's at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

I found your article to be very fascinating! It's simple things that it takes to be a better listener and conversationalist. I especially enjoyed/agree with the points to be patient and give the right body language as I feel they tie together. I am guilty of being an impatient listener on occasion and have also had it happen to me. People should always think about the other person while conversing as well.

Liz Martineau said...

Sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternowblogspot.com
Your article was so helpful. My boyfriend's mom recently got cancer, and I knew I couldn't take his pain away. I felt like I should just let him talk and when there was silence I let it be that way. I would empathize, but I didn't try to make the situation better. I knew nothing could. Later I didn't know if I handled the situation right, and now I know I did. Thank you. I really liked your tip on shutting up and letting the other person express their ideas. Everyone tends to do that sometimes.

Anonymous said...

I found your site through Ter Scott's site at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

I agree with you that to be a better listener a person should be patient and they should also give the right body language. A person's body language can tell a lot about what a person is thinking... especially when words fail them. Your article was very interesting and I will use these tips in the future when listening.

Alyssa Scofield said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com You made a lot of good points and I will apply these in my future career, I liked listening with empathy receiving more information will change my mind about how I respond, and let the other person know that I am infact listening to what they are saying. I also liked ask the right questions I will clarify my questions so that I will get the answer that I first wanted instead of explaining myself again.

ladejawoods said...

In im Career I would choose to use #1 Listen with empathy, #3 Be patient, and #5 Summarize I would consider alot more but in my field which would be a wedding planner, I would have to listen very well so I didn't screw up someone's wedding dreams and I would have to be patient, so I don't tick no one else off with delays.

ladejawoods said...

I was sent from Ter Scott.
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I think that after reading this, the one that I am probably the worst at is number 6. I have always been a fix-it kind of person, and if someone is in pain because of whatever the situation is, I always find myself thinking about how I can fix it. What can I do or say to make them feel better and have a better day.

Also, number 3 is very difficult for me. If I don't understand something that was said, I do not understand other topics after, and find it difficult not to interject for an explanation. This can be very irritating for the speaker. It has definately happened to me on more than one occasion. Both of these points are good ones, and I will definately work on it.

thank you for the information!

stephanie marlow, oral communications

http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Kayla Soul said...

found on http://listenbetternow.blogspot.comBeing patient is something I really need to work on it is something I usually don't carry with me. Also remembering to ask the right questions and not just the ones that pop into my head.

Nishanna said...

William,
I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
I agree that in order to send the right message to whom you are having a conversation with, you need to listen with empathy. I try to repeat somehting that they said mixed in with my response so they know that I heard what they said, this is always important in any work setting. I also think that body language is key to having others understand where you are coming from. For my, crossed arms is intimidating so if someone is having casual conversation with me and they cross their arms, it makes me some what unconfortable. These are great tips and I appreciated reading. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi William,
Your article is really good. The ones I need to work on is #2 and #3. Sometimes I ask the wrong questions and I sometimes I get impatient. These are great tips and I'm going to practice each one to become a better listener in my future career. I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
Megan Beck in Oral Communications

Heather M. said...

I was sent to your blog through Ter Scott's "Listen Better Now" (http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/) and your article was one of two articles listed at the bottom his article that we were asked to read.

Some of the things I try to do and sometimes it is difficult is to not respond right away to what someone is saying because sometimes they are saying something to you that is going to upset or anger you. Also, I truely think that by asking questions that go beyond the simple yes or no will help you to get to the root of what is really the issue the person is trying to convey than having to play a game of 20 Questions.

These tips will be helpful guidance to being a better listener.

Heather Maciejeski

Anonymous said...

It can be very difficult to be patient, and know what the right questions to ask are. How to make someone understnad why you are confused about a topic can be difficult. Sometimes we are at a loss for words to explain. Very good tips for better listening!!

http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
(sent by ter scott)
stephanie m
oral communications

Unknown said...

These tips I found in your article were very helpful, most importantly the be patient tip. I find myself while talking to someone wanting to get in a word and sometimes speak too much, and talk when I really shouldn’t. I tend to be an opinionated person, and need to learn when to just listen. That tip I believe could help all areas in my life, and mostly in my career path. Tip number five also was extremely and made me realize how summarizing can show what a good listen you are, and make you more of aware of your listening skills. I was sent to this blog by Ter Scott at : http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Julia Werbelow - Communications class

Mommo9 said...

You mentioned 3 of my favorite pointers for being a good listener. I feel they are also great pointers for becoming a better human being also, 1- Clarify; often our perception can be wrong and if we clarify then we will realize the speakers true meaning in what they said. 2- Empathy; when we take the time to put ourselves into others shoes we are less likely to wrongly judge them. 3- Summarize; in summarizing it lets the person know you have heard them, it help you to remember what they said and it keeps your concentration on them and not yourself.
Patty W-L DBU
sent by Ter Scotts:http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

Heather W. said...

I think you gave some very good pointers for people to follow when in a conversation with someone. I agree that a lot of it can be hard to work on when you don't even realize you are doing it. I think for me I need to be more patient. I listen to what the person is saying, but have a hard time turning off my thoughts. This will also work for me in the career I'm going into. If I can learn to do this better, then there is less likey going to be any confusion between what needs to be done. I was sent here from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog (http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/)

Theresa Polich said...

Hi William,
I enjoyed reading your article,you gave some great information on listening to other people. Two points I'm going to start using are #2 Ask the right questions, and #5 Summarize, those will help me in my career. actully they all will.
Thanks Theresa

Linda Mortenson said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog Nohttp://listenbetternow.blogspot.com
I enjoyed your article very much. The point I like best is be patient. I know I get annoyed when someone interrupts me before I've finished speaking and I try not to do that to others.

tia said...

I was sen from TerScott listenbetternow.blogspot.com
Oral Communications
tlarson

One of the statements you said in your article was "be patient" during a conversation. Also "empathy" those are two important parts to listening that I do need to work on. sometime I do forget and end up butting in before the other person is done, my empathy is so strong at times that it goes overboard. Thanks for the information, I do plan to pay attention more often!
TLarson

Amanda Rudell said...

The two points that will help me the most in my career choice are: ask the right questions, and be patient. I never thought about asking broad questions, I actually always find myself asking yes or no questions, so that will definitely help me open up when asking questions. Second, would be to be patient. I have been working on my patience my entire life, and I think there are many others who have as well, but this is a great tip. Be quiet and listen before talking and asking questions. I was sent here from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Where does someone start.
#6 Trying to solve the problem. That's me, wanting to help. Husbands are good at this. Wives just want to tell them something and the husbands want to fix it. For a good friend, so do I
# 3 Be patient - This is my downfall. I want to get right in there and help. Start talking before they are done with what they are trying to say. I need to listen first.

#2 Ask the right question - Sometimes it is Are you all right? I know that is a yes or no question, but they usually go on from there. So I need to think more about what i am going to say or NOT to say when they are talking.
#4 Body language. I thought I have good body language. I try to be right there for them, even maybe use up their personal space.
But with all of this information that you gave us, it really makes you step back and think. Thank you for your article.
Vickie Luck DBU
Ter at listenbetternow sent me.

Jennifer Borresch, Oral Communications said...

I got this blog from Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
I really like giving the right body language. I think that body language is the most important and usually everyone looks for it. Also asking the right questions is also very important. You cannot learn anything without asking the needed questions. Questions are important everyday and all day.
-Jennifer Borresch, Oral Communications

Anonymous said...

Ter Scott sent me my name is Shannon Merritt. In the career that I have choosen empathy is going to play a part in my every day life. Well without it will shut down lines to communication to everyone around me as well as to myself. I will be reading and going through various medical items.I will need empathy for being able to realize that it's not just a piece of paper that I'm looking at is about an actual person and if I don't do my job correctly then it could cost this person alot of money and grief. To be able to listen to what is needed is going to be very important to every thing I do in this career.

Shannon Merritt said...

Your article was great it really gave me some insight on things to that are very crucial to my career of choice, Medical Billing and Coding. In the the first point you made about empathy it is going to be a very important thing for me to have in this field. These are actually peoples lives that I will be dealing with every day and empathy is a good thing to possess. The second point that I really enjoyed was patience, it one thing is hard to come by unless you have actully learned it. Jumping to soon isn't a good thing when so many things need to be done and missing bits and pieces is not good for any career choice. Ter Scott sent me. Thank You Shannon Merritt Oral Communications class DBU

MerriAnn said...

I was sent to your blog by Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/. In my career (Medical Billing and Coding) I expect that I will be on the phone with clients and eventhough I am not face-to-face with them I believe that you can tell very easily if someone is listening to you or not. By sitting slighty forward in your chair and upright (no slouching) the person on the other end of the phone can tell that you are ready to receive information. You can hear it in your voice if you are leaning back in your chair versus sitting up and paying attention. By listening without interrupting you can let people know that you heard them by summarizing or paraphrasing what they just said and asking if you understood them correctly. People appreciate this more than you will ever know. With the solving portion of listening I feel that people are calling me at work so that I can "fix" their billing issue. In personal issues this would, of course, be modified in each case. As a mom I am geared to "fixing" my children's problems but I need to remember that I am not always qualified to do so.

Diane Charnley said...

Hi William
I really enjoyed reading your article. In my career field I believe that #3 would be perfect for me. In my position you must be be patient with customers. They don't know anything about their bill and you do. So if your not patient with them how are they going to know what's going on.
Thanks
Diane C Oral Communications 2010
I was sent by Ter Scott
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

Mike Boone said...

Hi, how are ya?! I was sent from Ter Scott
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
as I am in his Oral Communications class.

I read and enjoyed your article and agreed with several points, two of which are;

1. You're right, Idiots don't need compassion. They need band-aids. I agree that we cannot fix the world, but we can allow it to fix itself and give any needed support to accomplish this task.

2. I like to take notes in meetings, classrooms, seminars, and the like. It might even help with my girlfriend. Because even though I am paying direct attention to the speaker and material, I don't always remember everything, but it's ok......I've got notes.

Thanks!

Becky Poverud said...

Hello,

I was sent here from Ter Scott's page http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
I would have to say that the whole "shut up" while someone is listening is very important. I know I'm not the best at just listening but I know I hate when I'm trying to explain something and the person talking to me interupts with a comment that they think pertains to what I'm getting at. Also making sure to ask the right questions is important too. It makes you really think about how you speak to others and what they take from you.

Becky Poverud

Ostara Groeschel said...

Hello, William, I enjoyed your article. I was sent to your blog from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog at I will use your tips in making myself a better listener. #6 Don't try to solve the problems or cure the pain of the person sharing with you; I felt that this is very important. I am always trying to solve other people's problems and I need to remember this point and work on it every day. #3 Be patient; this is also another point I need to work on to be a sucessful and effective listener. I can use both of these in my life everyday and at work in my career. Thanks, Ostara Groeschel

Misty Hannahs said...

Im glad I got this article from Ter Scott's blog http//:llitenbetternow.blogspot.com
I am going to school for medical billing and coding, I would like to move ahead onto administrative management, and I could use some of your information in my career choice. I like how you say to ask the right questions being clear with what is being said to you is important. Also I like that you said to be patient, most are so busy thinking about how ling something is going to take with a question or statemnt that we don't take the time to actually listen.

Dawn Paquette said...

Hi William, Ter scott from http://www.listenbetternow.blogspot.com/ sent me and im glad he did. I think being patient when listening is very important. Ill be in the Medical Billing and Coding field and being patient so you get all the right information is going to be very important in my chosen career field.

Katherine Stordahl said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog. http://listenbetternow.blogspot.comThe two points that I can use in my career is #1 Listen with Empathy and #3 Be Patient. Cause with #1 I will be taking Dr. orders and with #3 it will be helpful with the patients if they have something wrong with their bill.

Rebecca Goranson said...

I was sent here by http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

I found your ideas very informative. I am going into the profession of Medical Billing and Coding and will definitely will use the right body language. It is very important that we pay attention to who is speaking to me. I also liked "Be Patient". I will listen to everything the person has to say before I give my input.
Thank you for the great information.

william f. DBU said...

I was directed to this article by Ter Scotts article Listening is Learning at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/ The part of your article that hits home for me is # 4 Be patient. Many times I have found myself to be impatient when listening to others. It is easy to take over a chat with to much talk. Being patient and showing interest in what is being said tells the speaker what they are saying matters.

Brenda R. DBU said...

I was sent from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now Blog, http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/. All the tips were good and usable in my career. I like the idiot compassion, it's difficult to just sit there and listen and not try to fix the problem or so you think you can fix.

Jackie Z said...

sent from Ter Scott’s Listen Better Now Blog and copy and paste http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/ I like the whole blog, intently listening to the speaker til the are done, taking notes and then commenting on it all.

Corinne said...

#1 Listen with empathy,is very helpful in the medical field. You need to give your full attention and be understanding.
I received your blog from Ter scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Jennifer H. said...

I was sent from Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/
I really enjoyed reading your article and I liked the idea of listening with empathy in a way of me receiving more information. It will in fact help me in responding and letting the person know that I was in fact listening to what they had to say. This will help when I start in the Medical field and will spend a lot of time on the phone with insurance representatives. Also knowing that they will respond in kind. By asking the right questions I will better understand what is being said and what they want.
Being patient has always been a struggle with me as I am always on the move and so in my job sitting on a phone on hold for an hour might try my patience and so I will have to come up with ways to keep focused. I have always been good at paying attention to others body language and trying or figuring out what they are saying or were not saying verbally but are with their body language. I like the idea of summarizing everything up, so there is no room for things not being heard incorrectly or being misinterpreted.

Lisa J said...

All these points are very important in my career of graphic design, but I think asking the right questions is especially important. Clarifying what a client is asking for, their market, budget, etc. pins down how to create the best design that will meet their needs. Summarizing and taking notes are a really good idea to make sure everyone is on the same page. Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/suggested this article and it is very helpful.

Anonymous said...

I think all of the points you made for this would be important in my career choice. But the one that stood out to me is to summarize what was said. Instead of looking at the big picture, look at all of the key points that were made. If one understands them clearly they have listened. It is important to take notes during certain conversations, such as meeting. Then one can refer back to them later on and summarize what important things were said, and keep the summarized version handy to use for any further refrence. Thanks for the information you have given I was suggested to your site from http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

Hanna Krivinchuk

Yvonne Johnson said...

I find that the advice ask the right question will be very helpful in my career choice, due to the fact that i will be talking to a lot of consumers. Ter Scott sent me
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Katherine Stordahl said...

I find that to Be Patient will be very helpful for me in my career choice. Because I will be talking to a lot of clients and helping them with their bills if they have a problem. Ter Scott sent me
http://listenbetternoeblogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I was directed to this article from Ter Scott's "Listen Better Now" blog at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

I enjoyed reading this article and found the point "Listen with Empathy" to be especially helpful for me. I do tend to start thinking about and preparing my response to people before they are even done talking. It really makes sense that fully listening with empathy to the communicator before even thinking about a response would help me understand that person on a deeper level and therefore be able to communicate back more effectively. This technique helps one focus fully on the other person and not on oneself. I think this technique would work especially well in my career field as a medical billing and coding specialist when I need to communicate with both patients and doctors as well as insurance companies. All are coming from a different experience or angle in working to solve healthcare issues and all are equally important in the process.

Elaine Wiggins

Kari A. said...

Hello! It was suggested by Ter Scott to visit your article and linked here from http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com
I find #4 Give the right body language a very important thing to practice. It is a pet peeve of mine to try and talk to someone at my work while they decide to continue typing an email or etc. It makes it hard to know if they heard what you had to say and if the follow up will be done that you asked them to do. I also like #6, Don't try to solve the problem or cure the pain of the person sharing with you. Too many times I have tried to talk to someone who seems to have all my answers to my pain if I have chosen to share a painful situation. It makes it hard to want to talk with them again about another situation knowing that is how they will respond.
Thank you again for the pointers!

Kari A said...

Hello! I was sent here from Ter Scott's blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com
I feel that in my career, I could use #4 Give the right body language. If a person I am trying to speak to at my work is not listening and choosing to continue to type or do their work. I feel that it will make me think that what I needed from them was not heard and the follow up will not be done. Also, in #6 Dont try to the solve the problem or cure the pain of the person sharing with you will come in handy as I hope to be working in a clinical setting and if a patient were to tell me about a situation I dont want them to think I am not taking into consideration the pain they are feeling. We as people just need to listen sometimes and let the other person be heard.

Unknown said...

HiTer Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com
sent me to read your tips. Good information. I am going into medical coding and billing, I think #1-listen with empathy I will use going into this field.
Thank you for all the good ideas.
Linda J
Oral Communications
Winter 2011

Nadine Lohman said...

William:

I enjoyed your blog very much. I believe that the one point that stood out the most to me that would be of use in my career choice would be to listen with empathy. In the field I want to go into I think that this will be a very good tool in being able to resolve certain issues in a more effective manner.

I was sent to your blog from Ter Scott's Listen Better Now http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Denise R said...

I find your statements to be very helpful and interesting. What I feel could most benefit me in my career is listening and responding. By paying close attention to what is being said and being able to respond back showing that I listened to every word that was said. This shows my great interest in my boss’s conversation which in turn shows my great interest in my job. I was sent by Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.

Kayla Rantala said...

While each one of your points are so useful Its hard for me to pick my favorite to use in the business feild, but I think that haveing the right body laguage and asking the right questions will help you stay professional. I was sent to your blog by Ter Scott at At 1:39 PM, Kayla R said...
I really loved what you said about not telling somebody how to feel and not telling them what to do, These things really irriate me when people use them so then I therefor do the oppisite. They will help me in my career feild because id never want to say something that I wouldnt want to be told myself. I was sent to your page by Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Katy B said...

I really enjoyed reading your article. I really will be able to use #1 Listen with Empathy in my career. I am going into Medical Biling and Coding which can be a challenge and so it will be helpful to take a few moments to make sure I undertand what the speaker is trying to convey and what their point of view is. It is an important quality to have!

Ter Scott sent me from
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Barbara L. said...

Hi,
These are very good points to apply in a work environment. I like the idea of taking notes. Doing this in front of another person may be intimidating but by putting the points on paper, they can be validated. I would feel I was being listened to if someone was taking notes. Also, being patient is especially important to me. I am one of those people that tells myself not to talk. I have found myself arriving at a different conclusion or feeling different when I hear the total story or not where I think it may be going.

Visiting from Ter Scott:
http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

Megan Soens DBU student said...

I took from this article listen with empathy, it is important to understand what people are trying to say and what they are feeling. And to also be patient. I think that being patient is so important, if you are impatient people are going to notice and think that you aren't interested in what they have to say. Thank you for sharing this article, I got the link from Ter Scott; http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com.

Amy Kutz said...

Hi William-
Thank you for sharing this blog, I like two of the tips you give. I liked number 3 and number 4. Be patient and Give the Right Body Language. I do believe these two tips will help me in my career choice because I need to be able to be patient and listen to what people are telling me and be able to hold onto my own thoughts at the same time. Tip number 4 is helpful in my career choice because I need to show my coworkers and the patients that I am listening and not being distracted by things around me, I think this would be unprofessional. Thank you for sharing this blog and Ter Scott from http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/ suggested this blog.

Shannon W. said...

The most important point that I took from your article that will help me in my career choice is "Be Patient". I am going into the healthcare field and it will be very important for me to be patient and listen with empathy when my patients are speaking to me. The healthcare field is not the place that you want to be distracted and rude. Thank you for sharing this blog.
Ter Scott at http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/ suggested this blog to me.

Shelly R DBU said...

I read the article “Tips for Effective Listening Skills” (Harryman)and I can associate with number four, give the right body language. This will be especially important in the medical billing and coding field as when you are trying to get information on how to perform your work correctly, you do not want to look like you are not interested in only getting the answer to your problem, rather than learning the reason for the correct answer. I was sent from sent from Ter Scott’s Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Hi William I Scott’s Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/


I really liked your blog it was very helpful, I think there was one point that stuck out the most for me for my career field and it was to be patient. I know im a patient person, but there are some instances where I'll find myself very impatient, and not to happy about that myself.

DeeAnna Patnaude
Oral Communications online DBU 2012

Sandra P DBU student said...

I really enjoyed the entire article, my favorite one is "Be Patient". I like this one because my husband does this all the time and I am always having to tell him to "shut up and wait his turn". The other one is #6 nothing is more frustrating then when you just want someone to listen and they try to fix you.
I was sent from Ter Scott's blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com

Corissa Nolan, DBU said...

Thank you for such a helpful article. I feel that I can use all of these tips in my personal life as well as my future career of Medical Coding & Billing. I think that taking notes very important in my career choice . When either learning something new or speaking with a doctor to clarify something, it will be important to take notes along with my thoughts in order to be sure I understand properly.

I was sent from sent from Ter Scott’s Listen Better Now Blog http://listenbetternow.blogspot.com/

Thank you!