IntroducingIntroducing

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Your name goes hereYour Position goes here

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Listening to Listening to LearnLearn

Bringing the Vision to LifeBringing the Vision to Life

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Become aware of how we listen.• Explore good listening as a

communications skill.• Practice the skills of active and empathetic

listening.• Examine the relationship between listening

skills and the receiving and giving of feedback.

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Speaker / Listener Role PlaySpeaker / Listener Role Play• Pair off – speaker and listener: each speaker

talks for a minute or so about a recent trip or vacation; each listener has a secret instruction

• Speakers: What did you experience? How did reaction of listener affect you?

• Listeners: How did speaker respond to your behavior?

So, what is listening,and why is it so important?

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Listening IsListening Is

• An essential part of communication

• Not taught in school (writing, speaking)

• A skill that can be learned (Wood Badge can help)

• By being aware of importance, we can make it a learning and leadership tool.

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Why is listening a key Why is listening a key skill of leadership?skill of leadership?

• Primary means for connecting with others

– Share ideas/experiences trust/understanding

– Build awareness of strengths/skills– Youth really want us to listen to them

• Helps us make decisions and solve problems – glue for team, doorway for ideas

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““Seek first to Seek first to

understand, understand,

then to be then to be

understood.”understood.” — Stephen Covey

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Two Parts of Two Parts of Effective ListeningEffective Listening

• Active listening– comprehension of what the person is saying

(objective)

• Empathetic listening– sincere attempt by listener to understand what

the person is meaning (subjective - body language, tone of voice, emotional state)

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Active Listening RequiresActive Listening Requires

• Rephrasing and checking

• Nonjudgmental attitude

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Empathetic Listening RequiresEmpathetic Listening Requires

• Putting the listener in the speaker’s place

• Seeing things from the speaker’s viewpoint

• Understanding how the speaker feels

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Effective Listening IsEffective Listening Is

ActiveActive

ANDAND

EmpatheticEmpathetic

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Exercise in Effective ListeningExercise in Effective Listening

• Form pairs – speaker and listener

• Speakers talk about something they enjoy

• Listeners try different styles– pay close attention, but say only “I got it”– pay close attention and rephrase information– pay close attention, rephrase and attempt to

demonstrate understanding of deeper meaning

• Switch roles

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Listening in Adversarial Listening in Adversarial SituationsSituations

• How do we respond when hearing something we don’t want to hear?– When speaker is angry? – When we are uncomfortable?

• Be aware of your own state!

• Create a productive framework with a positive stance. Is a “time out” needed?

• Cast conversation in a positive light.

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Listening in AdversarialListening in AdversarialSituations - Role PlaySituations - Role Play

• Volunteer plays role of Scout angry about the way he is being treated in his unit

• Staff member displays good listening skills

• Transition Scout’s focus

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Listening in AdversarialListening in AdversarialSituations - DiscussionSituations - Discussion

• What did you observe? How did it go?

• Consider

– speakers respond to listeners (acknowledge but do not enable the negative)

– flipping a negative to a positive can structure a more productive framework

– positive light involves and projects more empathy and support

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Listeners should always Listeners should always

strivestrive

to create a positive to create a positive

present, as opposed to present, as opposed to

a negative past.a negative past.16

Giving and Receiving Giving and Receiving FeedbackFeedback

• May be difficult – effective listening can help turn negative into positive – to be helpful, both parties must listen effectively.

• How does it feel to receive feedback? How does it feel to give feedback (in a positive manner)?

• Basic part of leadership and teamwork.

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Tips on Giving FeedbackTips on Giving Feedback• Is it helpful (what are your motives)?

• Do others want it?

• Deal only with behavior that can be changed.

• Is it specific (no generalities)?

• Does it describe (not evaluate) behavior not intangibles, like “attitude”?

• How does the behavior impact you?

• Does your feedback contain an “I” statement (accept personal responsibility for you)?

• Did the recipient understand what you said?

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You can give caring feedback You can give caring feedback without a good technique,without a good technique,

BUT . . .BUT . . .

the slickest technique in the world the slickest technique in the world will not hide a lack of caring.will not hide a lack of caring.

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Tips on Receiving FeedbackTips on Receiving Feedback

• Seek out feedback (it will nearly always help you improve).

• Listen carefully (heightened awareness).

• Listen actively (rephrase, get the words in context).

• Listen empathetically (get the message).

• Monitor your emotions (now is not the time to react).

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Consider Consider

feedback to be a feedback to be a

gift. gift.

It truly is one.It truly is one.21

Listening to Learn: SummaryListening to Learn: Summary

• Effective listening is a learned skill.

• Listening is important to relationships and problem solving.

• Effective listening is both active and empathetic.

• Listening can turn a negative situation into a positive one.

• Listening is key to giving and receiving feedback.

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So, did we . . .So, did we . . .• Become aware of how we listen?

(YOU BET!)

• Explore good listening as a communications skill? (YOU BET!)

• Practice the skills of active and empathetic listening? (YOU BET!)

• Examine the relationship between listening skills and the receiving and giving of feedback? (YOU BET!)

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Thank You!Thank You!

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ELECT YOUR ELECT YOUR DENNER!DENNER!

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