Advertisement Feature
Think Brilliant Logo
Home

Revitalise Your Listening Abilities

You may think that focussing your attention is all you need to do to hear more, and to improve your listening abilities. But hearing and listening are two very different things, and listening carefully is a very active process. Take our test to discover your listening style.

What's your listening style?

Take the Listening Style Inventory test!

The results are in...

The active listener gives their full attention to listening when others are speaking, and focuses on what is being said. Active listeners spend a lot of energy engaging in the conversation. They usually display alert body language and maintain frequent eye contact.

The involved listener gives most of their attention to what is being said. Involved listeners reflect on the message and are keen to participate in conversations. They make frequent eye contact and will seem alert throughout a conversation.

The passive listener receives information as though being talked to rather than joining in with conversations. Passive listeners are moderately attentive, and make some effort to correctly interpret what is being said, however they place responsibility on the speaker to communicate their message effectively.

Detached listeners often withdraw from conversations and are reluctant to engage. They are often disinterested, restless and easily distracted. A detached listener’s body language is likely to be slumped and lack alertness, and they will avoid eye contact during the conversation.

  • I like listening to what others have to say.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I am easily distracted when listening to people.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • When listening I often pre-empt the speaker's point before they have finished explaining.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I make an effort to stop what I’m doing and focus on listening when someone speaks to me.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I consciously control my opinions when listening to others so that I don’t misinterpret what they are saying.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • If I discover I have misunderstood someone, I make an effort to avoid the same mistake in the future.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I allow people to finish what they are saying before drawing my own conclusions about what they have said.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I can tell when a speaker's personal opinions are affecting what they are saying.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I ask questions when I don't fully understand a speaker's message.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
  • I notice when there is a difference between my understanding of a concept or word and the speaker’s understanding.
    • Almost always
    • Often
    • Sometimes
    • Seldom
    • Almost never
PreviousNext

Whatever your style is, the average person’s listening efficiency is only 25%, as the remaining words quickly leave the short term memory. Most people forget what they have just heard. But the good news is that you can become an active listener by trying a few simple techniques.

Listening style profiles. People style listeners are empathetic and driven by emotion focusing on their relationships. Content style listeners are interested in what is being said assessing speaker's credibility by testing their expertise and truthfulness. Time style listeners will clock watch allocating a set period for listening to succinct answers. Action orientated style listeners are interested in what needs to be done.

Now that you know what your style is, you can improve the time that you spend listening. An experiment in the 1970s found that patients found talking to robots more rewarding than when they spoke to doctors. The reason was that patients felt that the robots had all the time in the world.

We spend 40% of our waking hours listening.We’re able to think and process our internal monologue much faster than we can process what we hear. It seems it is much easier to listen to ourselves than to other people! Listening rate is 125-25- words per minute and thinking rate is 1,000-3,000 words per minute. Listening is a cognitive process whereas hearing is a physical process. As an active listener you’ll be able to repeat and retain the information you have heard so here are some ideas on how to do so.

How to Improve Listening? DOODLE! People who doodle while they listen will remember 29% more information than non-doodlers. Doodling may seem like a distraction but it prevents daydreaming.

Hillary clinton.Ronald Reagan.john Keats.John F. Kennedy.

Ear Love. Give your ears a break from the cacophony of sound that is modern day living. Spend 3 minutes in complete silence or just sit somewhere quietly to recalibrate your hearing.

3
Min
Start

Alternatively, you can increase the sensitivity of your listening by taking time to listen to as many different channels of sound as you can. This will improve the quality of your listening.

Your body language CAN ALSO HAVE a big impact on HOW WELL YOU LISTEN. Being slumped over or leaning on a wall isn’t going to make you pay much attention.By sitting-up or standing straight you become alert to what is being said. Face the speaker and be sure to nod occasionally and smile. A blank expression isn’t going to engage either of you.

Verbal encouragement. While listening encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like “yes” and “uh huh”. Ask questions to clarify any points that you may not understand.Mind your thoughts. Having the intention to listen will help immensely to take in everything. Don’t judge the speaker until they have finished and of course, do let them finish. The best way to see if you have heard everything is by reflecting and summarising the key points in your own words.

body language impact

Communication is everything, but listening is often overlooked as a key component. Whatever your listening style, if you're able to bear these tips in mind you'll find you can remember more of what you hear and engage better with your colleagues.

*This special advertising page is not a part of CNN editorial content.