Definition of Appreciative Listening
Definition of Appreciative Listening: Do you know about one of the effective communication theories- appreciative listening? It is the way of listening in which the listener is grateful for the speaker’s time and attention while they are sharing the information with the listener. Here the listener enjoys what the speaker wants to say.
Hence Appreciative Listening is more about you like you are listening to a seminar on meditation which takes you to a night of good sleep. In some cases, it is about getting involved in a piece of music or a speech and praising the speaker.
Importance of Appreciative Listening
Importance of Appreciative Listening
Appreciative Listening is crucial in various areas of life be it school, work, or relationships. It is the way you react to what other people say. Eventually, you get completely absorbed in listening.
When you use this tool in the workplace, it creates wonders. Your relationship with seniors and colleagues improves. They feel you are willing to understand them without any criticism. Your close ones feel glad that you are caring about their well-being. It helps in building trust and gaining respect. You must know that people consider appreciative listeners as supportive people of the group.
If you do it right, appreciative listening can work as a boon in your career. It is one of the important steps on the ladder to success.
Let us look at some of the critical listening examples that will give you an idea about appreciative listening.
Go back to the last conversation that you had with your colleague. Do you remember the whole conversation or part of it? Is it 50% or less?
Now just put yourself in the shoes of your colleague. He listens to only 20% of the information you are sharing with him. Is it worth sharing the information?
Hence here the role of Appreciative Listening comes. It is important to listen but also make the speaker feel valued.
So what if your colleague hears you patiently and gives you positive feedback once you share the whole information?
Some other examples are:
- Your boss listens to how you can increase sales and in turn praises you for your research.
- It also works in your personal life. Your friend is sharing some new ideas for starting a business and you show a positive response to him through your expressions and gestures.
- It is useful for resolving conflict between teams and making things smoother. During such a situation, one needs cooperation and appreciative listening is what shows great results.
How can you use expressions in appreciative listening?
Here are some of the ways in which you can use it at your workplace.
- I am glad you took the time to talk with me regarding an issue.
- Thank you for helping me in providing a solution to the problem.
- Congratulation! You worked very hard in your presentation and it was engaging enough. I loved it.
- I appreciate your support in making this project work.
- I am highly obliged when you listen to me without any prejudice.
- It feels great when people like you work in a constructive way.
Major Factors of Appreciative Listening
Appreciative listening is connected with the thoughts of the listener.
It consists of three factors:
- presentation
- Perception
- Previous experience
Presentation
It refers to how the material is presented. It includes information shared through radio, television, music, and other auditory formats. The setting of the presentation is also part of it. For example, listening to a speech in a conference room is different from what you listen to on phone. Another way your listening impacts is the personality of the presenter, the size of the space, and the style of presenting. Hence, it depends upon what the listener enjoys. Some may like listening to music in a car and others may enjoy the concert.
Perception
Another factor that impacts appreciative listening is perception. The opinion of listeners changes during the speech and even after the speech gets over. If the speaker’s delivery method is engaging, the listener will enjoy it but may stop showing interest if the tone of the speaker changes. Hence, a listener should listen to various forms of speech. Their attitude impacts what they listen to and how they hear it.
Previous Experience
Previous experience means the listeners are exposed to past events which let them appreciate the current events. For example, the listener can enjoy the music of the same genre if he or she had a good experience of it in the past. However, it is equally important to enjoy new experiences. You can broaden your cultural aspects by appreciating new things.
Ending Remarks
Showing gratitude is a great way of implementing appreciative listening. It makes the speaker feel you value them. Also, the factors impacting it should not be missed.
In every relationship or area of life, there is a huge importance of appreciative listening as it can bring positivity everywhere. Hence, one should follow it with complete focus.
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