EFFECTIVELISTENINGJ.S.O’Rourke,UniversityofNotreDameCopyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallLISTENINGThereisasubstantialdifferencebetweenhearingandlistening.Hearingismerelyaninvoluntaryphysicalresponsetotheenvironment.Listening,ontheotherhandisasophisticatedcommunicationskillwhichcanbemasteredonlywithconsiderablepractice.Youcanlearntobeaneffective,capablelistenerbyusingthetechniqueswe’llreview.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallWhyListeningMatters:Bytakingresponsibilityforsuccessfulcommunicationthroughactiveandreflectivelistening,youcanbecomemoresuccessfulatthoseactivitiesthatdependoncommunication,includingyourpersonalandprofessionallife.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallHowWellDoYouListen?Rateyourselfasalistener.Howwouldyoursubordinatesrateyou?Howaboutyourpeers?Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallHowWellDoYouListen?Howwouldyourbossrateyou?Whatwouldyoursignificantothersay?Howwouldyourbestfriendrateyou?Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallWhyListen?Theaveragepersonspendsabout70percentofeachdayengagedinsometypeofcommunication.Ofthattime,45percentisspentlistening,30percentspeaking,16percentreading,andonly9percentwriting.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallWhyListen?Listeningdemonstratesacceptance.Listeningpromotesproblem-solvingabilities.Listeningcanincreaseaspeaker’sreceptivenesstotheideasofothers.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallWhyListen?Listeningdemonstratesacceptance.Listeningincreasestheself-esteemoftheotherperson.Listeninghelpsyouovercomeself-consciousnessandself-centeredness.Listeningcanhelptopreventhead-onemotionalcollisions.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallIneffectiveListeningHabitsDr.RalphNicholshasdiscoveredthatmanyofusemployineffectivelisteninghabitsthatinterferewithlearning:Callingthesubjectuninteresting.Criticizingthespeaker’sdelivery.Gettingover-stimulated.Listeningonlyforthefacts.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallIneffectiveListeningHabitsTryingtomakeanoutlineofeverythingwehear.Fakingattentiontothespeaker.Toleratingorcreatingdistractions.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallIneffectiveListeningHabitsAvoidingdifficult,expositoryortechnicalmaterial.Lettingemotion-ladenwordsthrowusoffthetrack.Wastingthedifferentialbetweenspeechspeedandthoughtspeed.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallDevelopingGoodListeningHabitsResearchersattheUnisysCorporationhaveidentifiedwaysinwhichyoucanreviewyourineffectivehabits,identifythoseyoushouldreplace,andsubstitutemoreeffectivestrategiesforlistening,learning,andremembering.They’veidentified,infact,18habitsyoumaywishtoconsiderforyourowninventoryofcommunicationskills.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallDevelopingGoodListeningHabitsStoptalking.Oneconversationatatime.Empathizewiththepersonspeaking.Askquestions.Don’tinterrupt.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallDevelopingGoodListeningHabitsShowinterest.Giveyourundividedattention.Don’tjumptoconclusions.Avoiddistractions.Evaluatefactsandevidence.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallDevelopingGoodListeningHabitsRecognizeyourownbiasesandprejudices.Don’targuementally.Reacttoideas,nottothespeaker.Don’twasteyourthought-poweradvantage.Wishingdoesn’tmakeitso.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallDevelopingGoodListeningHabitsListenforwhatisnotsaid.Listentohowsomethingissaid.And,mostimportant:sharetheresponsibilityforcommunicationsuccess.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallActiveListeningIsASkillFostercatharsis.Encouragesthespeakertobelessafraidofnegativefeelings.Promotearelationshipofwarmthbetweenspeakerandlistener.Promoteproblem-solvinginthespeaker.Increasethespeaker’sreceptivenesstotheideasandthoughtsofothers.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallActiveListeningSkillsParaphrasingReflectingmeaningReflectingfeelingsReflectingconclusionsCopyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallHowCanIImproveMyListeningHabits?ProfessorJamesJ.Floydhassuggestedasystemforimprovingthewaysinwhichwelistentotherestoftheworld.Thefirstphaseinvolvesfoursteps:Reviewyourlisteninginventory(goodandbadhabits).Recognizeyourundesirablelisteninghabits.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallHowCanIImproveMyListeningHabits?Refusetotolerateundesirableorineffectivehabits.Replaceundesirablehabitswitheffectiveones.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallImproveYourAbilityToPayAttentionResistthetemptationtodaydream.Reduceenvironmentaldistraction.Ignoreinternal(self-generated)distractions.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallImproveYourAbilityToPayAttentionRefusetobedistractedbyspeakerappearanceormannerisms.Repeatedlyremindyourselftofocusonthemessage.Copyright©2010PearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasPrenticeHallImprov