Chapter 7

· Go to the website http://www.stresscure.com/relation/7keys.html

Discuss what you think about the suggestions offered on this website.

I thought that this article was very relevant! It was a good reminder of the important aspects of listening. Each of the tips had a valid point, and I found them to be very helpful in improving my listening skills.

#1 reminded me that “listening is not a passive activity”, and that it requires me doing my part as well!

#2 listed specific things to listen for when taking part in a conversation. It pointed out certain things that people tend to say in a conversation without ever putting them into words!

#3 reminded me that “listening requires wisdom” in order to understand the people you are listening to.

#4 reminded me to give people the respect and validity they deserve in a conversation. In other words, to always find validity in what they are saying, even when it all appears to be negative.

#5 reminded me to keep my mind clear and open whenever I am listening. Since reading this tip, I have noticed just how often I spend most of my “listening” time actually formulating my response, instead of actually listening to what the other person has to say!

#6 reminded me to “listen for tell-tale signs of impending trouble”. This means listening for signs of what the other person is too afraid to tell you straight out.

#7 once again reminded me to “listen with optimism and positive human regard”. This tip is very similar to tip #4, in that it reminds us to not view the conversation as negative or a waste of time, despite how much you may feel that way.

Overall, this article helped me recognize areas in my listening skills that needed serious work! It was also very helpful in showing me exactly how to fix those weak areas in my communication skills!

· Go to the website http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.html

Learning to be an Active Listener is difficult. Discuss what you learned from the website.

This website was very helpful by showing different skills that are required for being an active listener. It listed the various body language aspects to remember, including posture and eye contact. It also taught me the different types of checks that can be used to reinforce what I am hearing. These include clarifying and perception checking. It also includes processes such as summarizing and paraphrasing. While all of these processes are similar, the website broke them down individually and provided definitions and examples for each of them. This helped me to understand each process apart from the others so that I can apply them to my own life.