The four stages of active listening

By: Madeleine Manzo

Decide to listen to yourself.Create a proper atmosphere.Focus on the speaker.Show that you are paying attention.

Focusing

INTERPRETATING

KEEP FROM JUDGING DETERMINE THE SPEAKER’S

MEANING CONFIRM THAT YOU

UNDERSTAND THE MEANING SHOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.

EVALUATING GATHER MORE INFORMATION. DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE

INFORMATION IS GENUINE. EVALUATE THE INFORMATION. COMUUNICATE YOUR

EVALUATION.

RESPONDING

LEARN WHAT THE SPEAKER EXPECTS.

CONSIDER YOUR OWN TIME AND ENERGY.

DECIDE WHAT TO DO.

MIRRORING

Speaker: I loved Ashley wedding dress on Saturday.

Listener: You loved Ashley wedding dress on Saturday but I loved her husband best man.

Speaker: Hahaha! You are really something.

Listener: yeah I know, girls just love to have fun.

CONTINUE:MIRRORING SPEAKER: I HATE THE VOICE OF MY

BOSS.

LISTENER: YOU HATE THE VOICE OF YOUR BOSS BUT YOU SHOULD JUST DEAL WITH IT UNTIL YOU FIND A NEW JOB.

Paraphrasing Speaker: My partner is out of the

country and I have to do this project which is due Friday. If only this wasn’t a pair up project.

Listener: So your saying that you would rather work alone instead of working with a partner and give her half the credit she didn’t do.

SUMMARIZING STATEMENTS Speaker: Again? You know you must

get yourself together.

Listener : Yes I know, but it hard to fi nd a babysitter at this time.

Speaker: Well, we both know that if you don’t get this fi gured out, you will face the consequences.

Listener: Yes Ma’am

Self-disclosure Statement Speaker: I hate it when he acts this

way. It just want to make me slap him hard across the face.

Listener: yeah. I know what you mean. That reminds me of the time where I felt like that with my former boss. Oh how I didn’t like his attitude.