The Importance of Feedback During Training

Effective communication is not just about speaking and listening. It is also about watching and feeling. Our body language and tone of voice actually communicate more strongly than the words we use. So, listening effectively involves tuning in closely to the other person’s body language and tone of voice as well as their words.

First, mindful listening is important in communication just hearing what someone says is not enough we need to listen to who were are communicating with and give them our full attention. “To listen well, we rely on our ears, minds, and hearts” (Wood, 2016, p. 163). I have a problem with selective listening and I have worked on this to become a better listener throughout class with my family.

listening that I have not thought of before. One important thing that Ms. Headlee had said was to not pretend that you’re listening when you actually aren’t. This is called pseudolistening and our book calls it “pretend listening” (Rothwell 150) Pseudolistening is when you are looking at someone while they are talking and responding with ”Mmm-hmm” or even saying “really” (Rothwell 150) It appears as though you are intently listening when in reality you are not. If you are doing this you are not only a bad listener but also disrespectful towards the person who is talking.

Interpersonal communication can be defined a number of ways, but it is usually described as communication between or among connected persons, or those in a close relationship. Over the past few weeks, I have really been able to examine my own interpersonal communication between and among the people I am connected to or have close relationships with. Prior to this course, I felt my interpersonal communication skills were above average and very effective. However, I have discovered there are many ways I can improve my interpersonal communications and relationships with others. Through the exercises conducted during this course I have realized that I need to work on my effective listening, perception of others and how my nonverbal cues can cause

James Petersen (2007) uses five parts to describe the talking and listening to help us process a better way of communicating and understanding each other. They are provided to help us connect in our relationships with others. According to Petersen, most of us think we listen well, but we don’t. Not

Listen empathically – focus on the person and the emotions that underlie his or her

Talking and listening are essential life skills. The ability to talk in order to communicate and exchange ideas and information, to negotiate with others, to express feelings and emotions, allows human beings to function well in the world and to be full and active members of society. Communication, to be effective, requires the ability to listen, to understand and to make sense of what is heard. On the personal level, when we listen, we give attention to the other person in such a way as to allow them to feel heard, understood and therefore respected. In that way, listening is more than

Dr. Petersen has called The Flat Brain Theory of Emotions. “It explains how our emotions, thinking and relating abilities work and how what goes inside us comes out in the ways we communicated and act.” (Petersen, 2007, p. 8) And without doubt that this is precisely the basis not only for a great communication, but is also related to a great listening.

A vital aspect of interpersonal communication is the style in which one listens. While every individual possesses their own preferred method of listening in communication, it can be enlightening to analyze our own strengths and weaknesses so as to maximize effectual communication. Within the confines of four main listening style categories, I have chosen those which best describe my own personal listening style.

Active Listening It is most important to learn how to pay full attention to others as they communicate, and this process involves more than merely listening to the words. It involves absorbing the content, noting gestures and subtle changes in voice or expression, and

People tend to process incoming information quicker than its output by the speaker causing them to quickly jump to conclusions, evaluate, or predict what will be said next. "Most individuals speak at the rate of 175 to 200 words per minute. However, research suggests that we are very capable of listening and processing words at the rate of 6000 to 1,000 words per minute....This unused brain power can be a barrier to effective listening, causing the auditor to miss or misinterpret what others are saying."(Lewis 2003). Listeners are often side tracked when listening, whether it be internal or external distractions. People have a habit of only listening to what they want to hear instead of what is actually being said.

Listening plays an important role in communication as it is said that, of the total time spent on communicating, listening takes up 40-50%; speaking, 25-30%; reading, 11-16%; and writing, about 9% (Mendelsohn, 1994).

Within the graduate school setting, strong communication skills are vital when interacting with classmates and faculty. Perfecting communication skills in the classroom setting prepares students to communicate effectively with fellow colleagues and professionals (Fisher & Zigmond, 1996). An essential strategy to improve one’s communication skills lies in the ability to be an excellent listener. Klein (2009) asserts that effective listening involves more concentration and focus than any

Listening is an important form of communication. Unfortunately, many people who do not know how to listen believe they can listen well. They often say "I have been doing this all of my life of course I can listen". Listening is not inherited, or a personality trait, it is a skill that must be worked on and practiced.

In this class, I’m learning quite a bit about listening. I’m learning how to listen and communicate better with people, especially when the things I’m listening to and talking about are more on the sensitive side of topics. I’ve always been a very closed off person, even from friends and family. I️ would have a hard time expressing my thoughts and emotions verbally and would get upset with people when they would try to pry. Friends and family would get angry with me when I️ wouldn’t talk or wouldn’t listen to them when all they were really doing was trying to help me. Very frequently when out in public it’s easy to observe this same kind of people or behavior. There are many more people out in the world with poor listening and communicating skills than you may think. For instance, those who get flustered when discussing certain topics whether it’s at the store or a coffee shop. If you like people watching, then you know what I’m talking about.