A POCKET GUIDE TO PUBLIC SPEAKING 5 TH EDITION Chapter 5 Listeners and Speakers

Listening  Listening is the conscious act of  Receiving messages;  Comprehending messages;  Interpreting messages;  Evaluating messages;  Responding to messages.

Recognize That We Listen Selectively  Audience members process information differently.  Selective perception  People pay attention to certain messages  Ignore others

Recognize That We Listen Selectively (cont.)  Factors influencing what we listen to  We pay attention to  What we hold to be important;  Information touching our experiences/backgrounds.  We sort/filter information based on what we know.

Recognize That We Listen Selectively (cont.)  Identify what is important to listeners.  Show listeners what they can gain.  Touch upon listeners’ experiences and backgrounds.

Recognize That We Listen Selectively (cont.)  Build repetition of key ideas.  Use analogies to help listeners learn.  Use presentation aids when appropriate.

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening  Active listening is focused and purposeful.  Obstacles to listening  External and internal distractions  Scriptwriting and defensive listening  Laziness and overconfidence  Cultural barriers

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening (cont.)  Minimize external and internal distractions.  Environmental distractions (e.g., a siren)  Try to anticipate and plan for them.  Internal distractions  Be well rested and avoid daydreaming.  Monitor yourself and consciously focus.

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening (cont.)  Guard against  Scriptwriting  Focusing on what you’ll say next  Defensive listening  Disliking the speaker’s words beforehand  Deciding you know better

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening (cont.)  Beware of laziness and overconfidence.  Can manifest in several ways  Expecting too little from the speaker  Ignoring important information  Displaying an arrogant attitude

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening (cont.)  Work to overcome cultural barriers.  As a listener  Consciously refrain from prejudging the speaker;  Focus on what is being said;  Ask questions to reveal your needs.

Anticipate Obstacles to Listening (cont.)  Work to overcome cultural barriers (cont.).  As a speaker  Eliminate or define idioms;  Speak at an appropriate rate;  Pay attention to pronunciation and articulation;  Be alert to nonverbal cues;  Clarify points when indicated.

Practice Active Listening  Steps to active listening  Set listening goals.  Listen for main ideas.  Watch for speaker’s nonverbal cues.  Try to detect speaker’s organizational pattern.

Evaluate Evidence and Reasoning  Use your critical faculties to  Evaluate the speaker’s evidence;  Analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases;  Assess the speaker’s reasoning;  Consider multiple perspectives;  Summarize and assess facts and evidence.

Strive for the Open and Respectful Exchange of Ideas  Dialogic communication  Sharing of ideas in respectful atmosphere  Speaker  Opportunity to achieve understanding with audience  Listeners  Being open-minded and empathetic

Offer Constructive and Compassionate Feedback  Be honest and fair when evaluating.  Adjust to the speaker’s style.  Be compassionate in your criticism.  Be selective in your criticism.