Effective Listening Styles for CPAs (Course Id 1916)

• Who is this course for?
  It’s designed for anyone needing Continuing Professional Education (CPE), especially CPAs and accounting practitioners seeking to enhance communication skills.

• What is this course about or what problem does this course solve?
  The course defines various listening styles and skills—such as conventional, evaluative, reactive, explorative, and the attentive listening cycle—to help CPAs improve communication with staff and clients.

• How can the knowledge from this course be used?
  Learners can recognize their own listening tendencies, adapt listening behaviors based on context, and apply the attentive listening cycle (engaging, acknowledging, encouraging, summarizing, asking) to strengthen communication and relationships.

• Why is this course important to a CPA, Accountant, or IRS Enrolled Agent?
  Effective listening is a critical soft skill for CPAs, who frequently interact with clients and teams. Understanding and applying different listening styles enhances clarity, client relations, leadership, and overall practice effectiveness.

• When is this course relevant or timely?
  Released in 2021 and revised recently on June 10, 2025, the training reflects current best practices in communication and emotional intelligence relevant to contemporary CPA work environments.

• How is a course like this consumed or used?
  Delivered through NASBA QAS self-study in text format, the course includes 32 pages of content, 6 review questions, and a 10-question final exam, earning 2.0 CPE credits upon successful completion.

Communication is a crucial skill for all CPAs. Practitioners must be able to actively communicate with both the people they work around, as well as their clients. A key component to communication is being able to effectively listen to others while leading and working as a team. Effective Listening Styles for CPAs is a training course that will define different listening styles and skills that can be used by practice owners and practitioners to improve practice communications with office staff members and their clients.

NASBA QAS - Text - NASBA Registry - 1916

Course Learning Objectives

• List the four listening styles available to practitioners.
• Identify the characteristics for conventional listening.
• Recognize the characteristics for evaluative and reactive listening.
• Recognize the characteristics and benefits for explorative listening.
• Recognize the steps in the attentive listening cycle.

Chapter 1 - Effective Listening Styles for CPAs

Course Learning Objectives

Introduction

Leadership

Practice Vision

Influence

Building Relationships

Emotional Intelligence

Project Manager Skills

Communication Skills

Project Management Process Groups

Executing Process Group

Manage Team

Benefits of an Effective Team

Communication Definition

Communication Methods

Effective Communications

Listening Definition

The Importance of Listening

Listening for Agreement

Effective Listening

Listening Behaviors

Rate Your Own Listening Style

Listening Exercise 1

Listening Exercise 2

Listening Exercise 3

Listening Exercise 4

Listening Styles

Conventional Listening

Impact of Conventional Listening

Associated Listening

Evaluative Listening

Impact of Evaluative and Reactive Listening

Explorative Listening

Impact of Explorative Listening

Attentive Listening

Attentive Listening Goal

Attentive Listening Cycle

Engaging

Acknowledge

Encourage

Summarizing

Asking

Using Communication Styles Exercise

Organizational and planning skills Body Language

Body Signature

Glossary