9: Listening Skills Video
Transcript:
Listening Skills
BOSS: So I've looked over the end of quarter reports and overall I think everyone's doing a great job, though there are still obvious gaps we need to address...Bill? Are you with me?
BORED GUY: Oh. Yeah. Right. Got it.
BOSS: For starters, I see our customer service rating has dropped quite a bit since the last quarter. We've received several complaints that our sales staff is inattentive and unhelpful, including one report filed with the Better Business Bureau.
RUDE GUY: Pfff.
BOSS: And while sales have increased somewhat, I think if we make a more concentrated effort to respond to customer—yes, Rick?
RUDE GUY: I'm not even in sales.
BOSS: I realize that. But we are all part of a team, and the marketing department is just as responsible for providing quality customer service as the rest of us.
RUDE GUY: I'm just saying, I'm not in sales. I don't deal directly with customers. It's not my fault.
BOSS: I didn't say it was anyone's fault. I'm just suggesting that if we are a little more attentive...we might be more successful. Or if you'd like, I could just fire you all right now. What do you think, Maggie?
THE TEXTER: What? Oh, yeah. Good idea. Wait. What did you say? I'm afraid I wasn't really listening.
VO: Are you listening? On any given day we spend about as much time listening as speaking, reading, and writing put together. Yet, studies show that the average person understands and retains only fifty percent of what they hear. In other words, half of the messages being sent to us go in one ear and out the other.
Is this a problem? Just imagine you are a nurse assisting a doctor with a surgical procedure, and you miss out on half of the instructions. Or you are a construction worker only casually listening to the safety protocols for a worksite. These particular situations require close attention, but every job requires good listening skills.
EXPERT: By and large we are not good listeners, especially now that so much of our communication is done electronically through texting and e-mail. We've lost some of our ability to pay close attention when people are speaking to us, to really process what we are hearing. Listening takes practice. It's a learned skill. And it requires us to be attentive and invested.
VO: Being a good listener—and a successful employee—means being an active listener. Active listening is a process of hearing what the speaker is saying, evaluating the messages that are being sent, and then, when the time is right, responding in an appropriate and engaging way. Let's take a look at another example.
JANICE: Hi Bill. Do you have a moment?
BILL: Oh, hi Janice.
JANICE: Listen, I got a phone call from a client today; she said that there was something wrong with her installation and...
BILL: It's not that Franklin lady is it? She's so demanding.
JANICE: No...Bill, it was Mrs. Dunkirk, she said...
BILL: Hold on. Her work was done on schedule. We had a team of guys out there last week.
JANICE: Actually, she said the work was done fine, but that there was a problem with the bill not matching the estimate...
BILL: She said I overcharged her?
JANICE: No. She just wants someone to talk to about it and I thought you, since you made the sale initially...
BILL: Yeah, whatever. I'll handle it.
JANICE: But she...
BILL: I said I'll handle it!
EXPERT: Active listeners are careful and attentive. They show they are interested through positive body language. They ask good questions—but only when it's appropriate to do so. They don't interrupt. They are more concerned with what the other person is saying rather than planning what they will say back. Most importantly, active listeners make sure they've received the message correctly by asking good questions.
VO: Let's see how the earlier scenario would have played out if Bill had used more active listening skills.
JANICE: Hi Bill. Do you have a moment?
BILL: Oh, hi Janice.
JANICE: Listen, I got a call from a client today who says that there was something wrong with her installation and I was hoping you could help her.
BILL: Oh, really? Who was it?
JANICE: Mrs. Dunkirk. She said the work was done on schedule, but that there was a problem with the bill. It didn't match the estimate you gave her initially.
BILL: I see. Did she say specifically what the discrepancy was?
JANICE: She didn't say, but I promised that somebody would get back to her as soon as possible.
BILL: Absolutely. Would you like me to call her this afternoon?
JANICE: That would be terrific. Thanks.
BILL: No problem. I'll get right on it.
VO: The next time you are in a conversation, whether you are at work or not, stop and think about the skills you are using. Are you giving the speaker your full attention? Are you keeping an open mind about what the speaker is saying? Are you waiting for a natural pause in the conversation to comment or ask questions? Are you using nonverbal cues, such as showing the speaker you are engaged through gestures and facial expressions, especially maintaining eye contact? These are just some of the ways you can show you are an active, invested listener.
Being a good listener is about more than just being courteous. It's about establishing open and comfortable lines of communication with coworkers, supervisors, customers—anyone around you. After all, when you are the one with something to say, don't you want people to listen to you? Take a moment and consider the following.