Effective Listening Skills

Listening is more than hearing. Listening is the ability to receive, attend to, interpret, and respond to verbal messages and other cues, like body language, in ways that are appropriate to the purpose. It is estimated that people screen out or misunderstand the intended meaning or purpose of a message in over 70% of communications, making listening the biggest contributing factor to miscommunication.

Our Effective Listening Skills workshop uses the Personal Listening Profile® to help people discover their preferred or most natural approach to listening as they gain insight into the different listening approaches of others. There are five listening approaches:

  • Appreciative
  • Empathic
  • Comprehensive
  • Discerning
  • Evaluative

The workshop helps people see that their preferred listening approach may not be appropriate to every situation. They learn when and how to adopt another listening approach for more successful communication. It outlines three primary factors to consider in choosing the listening approach appropriate to the situation: Purpose, Motivation, and Behavioral Indicators.

If you are interested in simply purchasing our Listening Profile, or other profiles, please visit our online store.