The Listening Process

Listening Listening is a physical and psychological process that involves acquiring, assigning meaning and responding to symbolic messages from others.

When is listening important? School  Listening skills affect your ability to participate in class discussion, ask meaningful questions, give relevant answers and score well on assignments  According to recent research, “faulty listening, more than any other factor, determines student failure in colleges and universities”.

When is listening important? Relationships  Good listeners are valued as friends-seen as caring/sensitive  Sought out as leaders  Able to avoid conflicts

When is listening important? Public Dialogue  Good listening skills allows you to hear all that is being said and make good decisions  A clear understanding of what has been said allows you to participate in conversations both as a citizen and as a consumer

When is listening important? Workplace  Reports from the Dept. of Labor indicate a “direct relationship between listening ability, productivity and job performance  Faulty listening costs businesses $86 billion/year  Faulty listening can lead to inconveniences as well as unsafe work conditions

Misconception about listening Listening and hearing are the same thing It is easy/automatic It develops naturally Anyone can listen if they try The speaker is primarily responsible for the success of a message Attitude and listening are unrelated People remember most of what they hear

The Listening Process Acquiring – hearing Attending – choosing, consciously or unconsciously to focus your attention on verbal or nonverbal stimuli Understanding – complex mental process that involves decoding symbolic codes Responding – listeners internal emotional and intellectual reaction to the message

Factors That Affect Listening Process Biases Attitudes Anger Unfamiliar Language Ignorance Communication Overload Stress Tuning Out

Factors That Affect Listening Process Hearing Problems Fatigue Fear Beliefs Needs

Effective Listening Skills Repeat what is said to you. Write it down. Maintain eye contact and provide non- verbal cues. Avoid outside distractions. Practice Accept that you will not like everything you hear