. Cheryl Crumb & Associates .

Listening

Background Situation

Customers of a manufacturing organization’s supply chain were saying “you’re not listening to us”. Hearing is a skill most of us are born with while listening is learned and involves choice. Statistics have shown that most of us spend 45% of our time in situations where listening is critical but habits such as interrupting, thinking about what we want to say, daydreaming, and finishing other people’s sentences get in the way of powerful communication. Listening comes from the Old English for Hlysnan (hearing) and Hlosnian (suspenseful waiting). Therefore, to listen generously you must wait in suspense to hear what the other person has to say. In the traditional model of listening, the speaker does all of the work and the listener is passive. Studies have indicated that full self-expression can only occur when a profound listener is present since listening evokes the speaking. What is not said is the cause of the listener rather than the speaker. Listeners need to listen not only for what was said but what was not said.

Learning Objectives and Process

Participants studied the complexities behind the model of listening (being present, interpreting, evaluating and restating) and practiced the skill sets associated with higher level listening. They experienced that certain response styles encouraged or discouraged speaker participation. They examined actual “voice of customer” comments and identified the expressed content (the “said”), meaning (the “unsaid”), and feelings. They experienced what it felt like to not be listened to, and practiced the behaviours of generous listening. At the conclusion of one day of training, they were exhausted! Actual customer quotes from pre-session interviews were included in an anonymous report and referenced throughout the training session.

Length

1 day




		Listening Background Situation Customers of a manufacturing organization’s supply chain were saying “you’re not listening to us”. Hearing is a skill most of us are born with while listening is learned and involves choice. Statistics have shown that most of us spend 45% of our time in situations where listening is critical but habits such as interrupting, thinking about what we want to say, daydreaming, and finishing other people’s sentences get in the way of powerful communication. Listening comes from the Old English for Hlysnan (hearing) and Hlosnian (suspenseful waiting). Therefore, to listen generously you must wait in suspense to hear what the other person has to say. In the traditional model of listening, the speaker does all of the work and the listener is passive. Studies have indicated that full self-expression can only occur when a profound listener is present since listening evokes the speaking. What is not said is the cause of the listener rather than the speaker. Listeners need to listen not only for what was said but what was not said. Learning Objectives and Process Participants studied the complexities behind the model of listening (being present, interpreting, evaluating and restating) and practiced the skill sets associated with higher level listening. They experienced that certain response styles encouraged or discouraged speaker participation. They examined actual “voice of customer” comments and identified the expressed content (the “said”), meaning (the “unsaid”), and feelings. They experienced what it felt like to not be listened to, and practiced the behaviours of generous listening. At the conclusion of one day of training, they were exhausted! Actual customer quotes from pre-session interviews were included in an anonymous report and referenced throughout the training session. Length 1 day