The Art of Effective Listening

Definition:

Paying close attention to, and making sense of, what we hear (The Art of Public
Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas)

Listening is an active process of “Receiving”, “Understanding”, “Remembering,

“Evaluating”, and “Responding”. Listening is cyclic, responses of one person serves
as the stimuli for the other. (The Interpersonal Book by Joseph A. Devito)

Difference between hearing and listening: Class Demonstration

Importance of Listening:

• Nearly all Top notch business executives, successful politicians and brilliant
teachers are excellent listener.
• Effective listeners hold higher positions and are promoted more often than
others.
• When business managers rank-order the communication skills most crucial
to their jobs, they usually rank listening number one.
• In one survey of Fortune 500 companies of America, almost 60 percent of the
respondents said that they provide some kind of listening training for their
employees.
• Close to 90% of class time in colleges and universities is spent listening to
discussions and lectures.
• A number of studies have shown a strong correlation between listening and
academic success.
• Students with higher grades are usually those with strongest listening skills.
 • Listening is also important as speaker, it is probably the way you get most of
your ideas and information—from talk shows, lectures, seminars etc.
• If you do not listen well, you will not understand what you hear and may
pass along your misunderstanding to others.

Purposes of Listening:
1- To gain new information / Ideas
Lectures, informative indoctrination

2- To quest and test evidence and assumptions:

Good listeners test facts, opinions, assumptions and then question the
speaker.

3- To be inspired:
Enthusiasm, getting touched, moved is possible only through effective
listening.

4- To improve communication:
By copying communication skills of role models.
Attending meetings, conferences, and seminars
Watching good talk shows.

Process of Listening:

1- Receiving:
Listening begins with receiving the messages the speaker sends. The
messages are both verbal and non-verbal and vary in volume and rate. At
this stage you note not only what is said but what is omitted.
2- Understanding / Interpreting:
At this stage you assign meaning to sounds according to your own values,
beliefs, ideas, expectations, roles and needs. The speaker’s frame of reference
may be quite different from yours.

3- Remembering/Retaining:
This is necessary to keep the process on. Storing is done for further
reference. You take notes or retain by making an outline. The retention in
memory is not exact reproduction but reconstruction.

4- Evaluation:
At this stage the message is judged by applying critical thinking skills to
weigh underlying intentions or motives. At this stage facts are separated
from opinions and evaluate the quality of the evidence.

5- Responding:
It occurs in two phases:
A) Responses you make while the speaker is talking. Nodding,
saying ‘I see’, producing ‘hmmn’ sounds etc. It establishes that
you are listening to the speaker.
B) Response you make after the speaker has stopped talking.
These are generally more elaborate.

Types / Styles of Listening:

Since we listen for different reasons, so the way to listen effectively varies from one
situation to another
 1- Content Listening:
To understand and retain the message being conveyed. Information
flows from speaker, no matter you agree or disagree, approve or
disapprove. Example Sales Reports.

2- Comprehensive Listening:
Listening to fully understand the message of speaker: Example,
Classroom lecture or directions to find something.

3- Critical Listening:
The goal is to understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s
message on several level: The logic of the arguments, the strength of
evidence, the validity of the conclusion, the speakers motives and
intentions. It generally involves interaction as you try to uncover the
speaker’s point of view and credibility.

4- Empathic Listening:
To empathize with others is to feel with them, to see the world as they
see it, to feel what the feel. Empathic listening will help enhance
relationship because you help the individual to vent the emotions.
Examples: Doctor – Patient, HR Manager – Worker, Student –
Teacher

Barriers in Listening:
Much of the oral information is lost because of poor listening habits.
According to a study listening efficiency is limited to a maximum of 30%
• External Distraction
o Some non-verbal cues are strong external distraction
 Stammering, excessive walking, vibrant colours of clothing,
unusual dressing, and sometimes reek of cologne.
 o Noisy fans, dim/glaring light, cold, over temperature, room furniture
etc. divert attention
• Thinking Speed
o People can process 800 wpm while speakers speak with a rate of 80-
160 wpm, in the fraction of time mind gets distracted
• Premature Evaluation
o Because of our thinking speed we process / evaluate discussion and
jump to conclusion without, sometimes, even paying heed to what
others wish to express
• Semantic Stereotypes
o Diction depends on company, field, attitude, and exposure. People
inadvertently use different words thus this results in barrier.
• Delivery
o Intonation (Rise & Fall) and stress give colour to speech and keep
listeners active.
o Monotonous takes them to drowsiness.
• Prejudice against the speaker
o If listeners have any bias against the speaker, they don’t pay attention
hence do not listen.
 Who is saying shouts loudly that what is said is easily
forgotten.

• How to improve your listening:

o Be prepared --Reach your class/interview/meeting prepared.
o Do things with positive approach.
o Listen to understand not to refute.
o Respect those with whom you disagree.
o Try to understand other point of view/.

If you want to be listened to, you should put in time listening.

(Marge Piercy)
 -------HAPPY LEARNING------
Lecture Prepared by : Aseem M. Rizvi