LISTENING IN THE WORKPLACE

POOR LISTENING HABITS

• Lack of training
• Distraction
• Speech is too slow and promotes day dreaming
• Listeners ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75% of what they hear

TYPES OF WORKPLACE LISTENING

• Listening to supervisors
• Listening to teammates/colleagues
• Listening to customers
• Listening to nonnative english speakers

LISTENING TO SUPERVISORS DO'S

• Lean forward and make eye contact
• Good eye contact
• Take notes
• Asking question

LISTENING TO SUPERVISOR DONT'S

• Criticize or argue
• Interrupt
• Take phone calls/text
• Try to complete another job

LISTENING TO TEAMMATES/COLLEAGUES

• Discriminative listening
• Critical listening

LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS

• Active listening
• Asking probing questions
• Acknowledge care for customers

LISTENING TO NONNATIVE SPEAKERS DO'S

• Avoid negative judgement of accented speech
• Be patient
• Practice listening to many varieties of English

LISTENING TO NONNATIVE SPEAKERS DONT'S

• Finish their sentences
• Correct their grammar and pronounciation
• Pretend to understand

IMPROVING WORKPLACE LISTENING

• Control external and internal differences
• Become actively involved
• Separate facts from opinions
• Identify important facts
• Avoid interrupting

IMPROVING WORKPLACE LISTENING CONT.

• Ask clarifying questions
• Paraphrase to increase understanding
• Capitalize lag time
• Take notes to ensure retention
• Be aware of gender differences