Communicating at Work

Ronald Adler Santa Barbara City College Jeanne Elmhorst Albuquerque TVI Community College

Chapter 4

Listening
Chapter Outline
The Importance of Listening Barriers to Effective Listening Listening Styles Listening More Effectively Types of Listening
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The Importance of Listening

Listening is one of Stephen Coveys Seven Habits of Highly Effective People The better you listen, the luckier you will get. Kevin Murphy Of all business skills, Listening is the most important and prevalent
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Barriers to Effective Listening

Misunderstandings: the rule, not the exception Physiological Barriers
Hearing deficiencies Rapid thought and Generative Listening

Environmental Barriers
Physical distractions: cold, noise Communication channel noise Overloaded communicant
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Barriers to Effective Listening

Attitudinal Barriers
Preoccupation Egocentrism Fear of appearing ignorant Abdication of responsibility of conversation Assumption that listening is passive Assumption that talking is more advantageous than listening
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Barriers to Effective Listening Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking.
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Barriers to Effective Listening

Sociocultural differences
Cultural differences
Accent Degree of experience with differing speech styles Conversational parameters, such as topic flow and use/prevalence of silence

Gender differences
Listening purpose and ambiguous conversational events Status and competition for others attention Slide Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2005

Barriers to Effective Listening

Lack of training
Though most people listen, few listen well Listening skills are becoming part of a companys training programs

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Listening Styles
People-oriented
Creating and maintaining positive relationships

Action-oriented
Accomplishing the task at hand

Content-oriented
Evaluating an issue from a variety of perspectives

Time-oriented
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Efficient use of time as a resource

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Listening More Effectively

Minimize distractions Talk less Pay attention to verbal cues Pay attention to nonverbal cues

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Listening More Effectively

Ask questions
Sincere questions Counterfeit questions
Statements and advice Traps Hidden agendas Leading questions
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Paraphrase

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Listening More Effectively

Paraphrase
Verify and Clarify Paraphrasing content
So we will talk after dinner, which is at 6?

Paraphrasing intent
You are doing this to see whos interested?

Paraphrasing feeling
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You seem disappointed.

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Types of Listening
Listening for information
Withhold judgment Be opportunistic Look for an outline or thesis Take notes Repeat what youve heard

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Types of Listening
Evaluative listening
Get info before evaluating Consider the speakers motives Examine the data Judge credentials Examine emotional appeals

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Types of Listening
Listening to help
Five categories of helping responses
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Advising Analyzing Questioning Supporting Paraphrasing

Avoid being judgmental Take time

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