1. Listening and Responding to Others4
Listening and Responding to Others

2. Listening and Responding to Others
Communication in a Changing World
The Listening Process
Active and Passive Listening
Obstacles to Effective Listening
Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener

3. Communication in a Changing World
Listening is a major part of communication that many of us take for granted
Good listening skills are important in both our professional and personal lives
Improving your listening skills will make you a better communicator, assist you in your professional life, and enrich your interpersonal relationships

4. Communication in a Changing World
“The most called-upon prerequisite of a friend is an accessible ear.” —Maya Angelou, poet

5. Communication in a Changing World
Hearing and Listening
Hearing refers to the act of perceiving sounds or other related stimuli
Listening is the process of perceiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or nonverbal messages

6. Communication in a Changing World
Figure 4-1. Communication Time Spent Listening

7. The Listening Process
Attending, the first stage in the listening process, involves making the conscious choice to listen
Interpreting, the second stage, involves giving meaning to sounds or related stimuli

8. The Listening Process
Figure 4-2. Stages of the Listening Process

9. The Listening Process
Responding, the third stage of the listening process, involves any discernable reaction including both verbal and nonverbal feedback
Remembering, the final stage, involves the retention and recall of messages

10. The Listening Process
“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer.” —Henry David Thoreau, author and philosopher

11. Active and Passive Listening
Active listeners focus on the moment, are aware of interactions as they unfold, respond appropriately, and are aware of distractions
Passive listeners expend little or no energy in the listening process

12. Obstacles to Effective Listening
Overcoming External Distractions
Physical Environment
Ask speaker to pause or repeat a statement
Sit closer to the speaker
Turn down the volume on electronic devices
Message Context
Understand and pay attention to the context in which we listen to messages
Media Noise
Think about the influence that medium will have on the listeners ability to understand you

13. Obstacles to Effective Listening
Overcoming Attitudinal Obstacles
Preoccupation with the Self
Communicators who are consistently thinking about what they are going to say instead of listening to others miss much of the meaning in messages
Preconceived Attitudes and Beliefs
Often interfere with our listening effectiveness by leading us to categorize messages before fully understanding them

14. Obstacles to Effective Listening
Overcoming Attitudinal Obstacles (continued)
Personal Investment
Personal investment can lead to selective attention, ambushing, and avoidance of threatening information
Can be triggered by semantic noise, a barrier to listening triggered by a particular word or phrase used by a speaker, or indifference, a lack of interest in listening
Indifference often results in pseudolistening, or pretending to listen

15. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Identifying Listening Goals
Appreciation is the goal of listening for pleasure or enjoyment
Comprehension is the goal for listening for understanding

16. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” —Jimi Hendrix, rock musician

17. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Identifying Listening Goals
Empathy is the goal of establishing common ground between people by acknowledging the legitimacy of feelings and giving support to others
Expressive communicators verbally acknowledge how others feel and share experience
Instrumental communication is listening or responding to help other solve problems or goals
Evaluation is the goal of listening to render an opinion or judgment

18. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Preparing to Listen
Clear your mind
Eliminate distractions
Set goals
Take notes when listening to presentations

19. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Improving Comprehension
Maintaining an Open Mind
Recognize your own interests and biases
Separate the message from its source
Identify key points in the message
Listen for unanticipated information
Using Perception Checks
Paraphrase in your own words what the speaker said
Ask questions
Identify areas of agreement with the speaker

20. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Choosing Your Response
The response you make will influence what happens next in the interaction
Make active choices about your feedback
Be careful about using negative feedback
Validate the speaker

21. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Making Communication Memorable
Staying Involved While Listening
The best way to remember an interaction is to make an investment in it
Organizing Information
To be effective, the listener must often identify key points and regroup material

22. Communicating Responsibly: Being a Good Listener
Applying Communication Concepts
Listening and Responding During Interviews
Are your questions clear and direct?
How might you rephrase your questions if the respondent has difficulty understanding you?
Have you thought of follow-up questions that will allow the speaker to stress points more clearly?

23. Summary
By improving our listening skills, we strengthen the foundation for shared meaning in communication and increase satisfaction with our interpersonal relationships
The four stages of the listening process are (1) attending, (2) interpreting, (3) responding, and (4) remembering

24. Summary
Active listeners frequently remember more information than passive listeners
There are many obstacles, both internal and external, to effective listening in every communication situation
The four listening goals are (1) appreciation, (2) comprehension, (3) empathy, and (4) evaluation

25. Summary Some of the ways to listen responsibly and effectively include
Preparing physically and mentally to listen
Taking notes
Being open-minded
Using perception checks
Actively providing feedback
Demonstrating comprehension
Staying involved
Organizing material and information