Communication in Teams

Active Listening

Active Listening Exercise

Objective of Exercise: To develop the skill of actively listening to another person without interruption other than for clarity and understanding.

Instructions:

• You have been given a tape recorder.
• Pick a partner.
• Put your names and your team numbers on the tapes.
• The first person should speak for 15 minutes about their project, how their team is performing the experiment and the skills the team leader is using to be an effective team leader.
• Tape the conversation.
• The remaining person will use active listening skills while listening to the other person.
• Do not interrupt the other person unless you need clarification or do not understand the meaning. Use clarification, paraphrasing and reflection techniques to share the meaning of what is being said to you.
• At the end of the conversation, summarize what he/she told you and allow time for your partner to respond to your summarization. Allow for the person to be silent if appropriate. You do not have to jump right into the conversation. The person may be collecting his/her thoughts.
• Then reverse the roles and tape the conversation. The second person should speak for 15 minutes about their project, how their team is performing the experiment and the skills the team leader is using to be an effective team leader.
• Turn the tapes in to the Teaching Assistant or other designated person. Write the roles you played on the tape sequentially.

TAKE A MINUTE AND WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM THE EXERCISE: