Discussion Title: Active Empathic Listening
To be an effective communicator we must master the core competency of listening. A willingness to listen during an interaction allows you to understand others, respond appropriately to what they say, and/or provide helpful feedback. Bevan and Sole (2014) describe ideal listening as active and empathic. In this discussion, you will take a listening quiz and then explain how using active empathic listening can help you improve as a communicator in your personal and professional relationships.
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Prepare: As you prepare to write this discussion post, take a few moments to
• Read the writing prompt below in its entirety. Notice that there are three tasks to complete:
o Complete the following listening survey and record your results: Active Listening Skills.
o Using Bevan and Sole (2014), start formulating preliminary definitions of empathy and active empathic listening.
o Consider how empathy and active empathic listening specifically can help you improve your personal and professional communication.
• Reread Section 7.2: Conversation Management - Listening.
• Read Chapter 8 on empathy and active empathic listening.
Reflect: Take time to reflect on why listening is so important in becoming better communicators. Consider how the listening techniques covered in the course text, including active empathic listening, could improve your personal and professional relationships.
Write: Based on your quiz results and what you learned in Section 7.2 and 8.3 of the text, answer the following questions:
• What is your willingness-to-listen score? What feedback did you receive from the quiz?
• Based on Bevan and Sole, describe active empathic listening.
• How can you use active empathic listening to help you improve your communication both in your personal interactions and in the workplace? Please provide examples to illustrate these points.
Thoroughly address all three elements of this prompt by writing at least two to three sentences on each element. Use the course readings at least once to help you make your points. Consider copying and pasting these tasks into a word file and addressing each of them separately.