ABEA Journal; Volume 25, Fall 2006
Originally in Volume 7, 1988
Steps for the Improvement of Listening
Nelda C. Garcia
Listening plays a significant role in the communication process.
Its importance indeed is recognized. Yet, listening is:
•
portrayed as the “forgotten,” “ignored,” “other hair of
communication”;
•
the least treated in the literature, as decried by 25
authors;
•
the least taught of all the communication skills; and,
•
regarded as a relatively new field.
There is assurance, fortunately, that a listening ability can be
developed, acquired, and improved gradually.
agenda to avoid faking,” and “Pay attention to specific main
ideas of message.” Active listening, therefore, has an important
role in meetings, and in audience interaction. The speaker, for
example, is encouraged to “listen to the audience,” while the
manager should “listen to the client’s answers.”
Listening attentively does not necessarily imply listening to the
speaker only. One author (Jones) explains how to give an
effective presentation and gives seven guidelines when the
speaker is doing the listening with an audience:
•
Our purpose is to do an analysis of 1) steps for the improvement
of listening, 2) tests for the diagnosis and improvement of
listening abilities, and 3) implications for business teachers to
use in training their students to become better listeners.
•
An Analysis – An Assessment
A good listener is:
•
attentive, able to concentrate
•
considerate, who devotes self to the speaker
•
responsive, who discerns the speaker’s intent
•
evaluative, who judges a communicator’s effectiveness
•
•
The characteristics of good and poor listeners are supported by
an analysis of 25 articles which provided 132 steps in the form
of “Do’s & Don’ts,” “Components or Characteristics,” and
“Steps & Tips” to become a better listener. Reference to FIG. 1
shows the number of steps for becoming an Active, Empathetic,
Responsive, or Evaluative Listener.
Agenda
1. Provide an agenda (written or oral)
Environment
2. Provide a comfortable environment
3. Schedule effectively (e.g., early a.m. when
people are more alert)
4. Present in a neutral area, undisturbed by
outside interruptions
Consideration
5. Listen to the wishes of the people to of
Others who the presentation is being made
6. Remember their names
Responses
7. Have an assistant take notes on raised
questions
Clearly, when the speaker is the listener, the concern is over
environmental factors. Meeting agendas are definitely
managerial concerns.
Concentrating on Conversational Content
Half of the steps given for active listening are “C” steps to
improve concentration in a conversation, its content and clarity.
Some examples of the twelve steps that emerged remind the
active listener to concentrate: by establishing common ground
and controlling conversation; by keeping in mind the message
content and free of trivial bits of information; by judging content
rather than delivery; and, by asking questions for clarification.
Steps to improve concentration re-emphasize the need for
“Asking Questions” if one is to become an active listener.
Importantly, the literature sample identifies corrective, listeningbuilding steps which, when synthesized, provide implications
for learning instruction.
Active Listening
Becoming an active listener, by “Paying Attention,
Concentrating, and Asking Questions,” received the secondhighest emphasis in terms of number of steps to improve these
listening abilities. For example, 30 or twenty-three percent
(23%) of 132 steps were given to become an active listener.
Asking Questions
The active listener is reminded by seven steps to “Ask
Questions” that are “better.” Effectively-asked questions
should result in more than yes/no answers, have a purpose, and
prompt further information.
Paying Attention
“Paying Attention” is considered a prerequisite for the active
listener, as shown by one-third of the active listener’s steps (1 or
30, or .09 percent). Some suggested steps include: “Set up an
-16-
ABEA Journal; Volume 25, Fall 2006
Originally in Volume 7, 1988
“successful manager will regard every employee as a valuable
source of information and listen carefully” (Caudill)
Paying Attention, Concentrating, and Asking Questions are
three inter-related listening abilities for the active listener to
develop. Thus, the history teacher who used to say, “Pay
Attention! - I may ask questions!” was drilling a class on the
three components of an active listener.
Employer-Employee communications in a work environment
are shown in FIG. 2. A series of 22 steps illustrate how the
supervisor—as listener—communicates with employees.
Attentive listening (in step 1), for instance, is empathetic
listening with the employee; whereas “separating fact from
fiction” is listening to the employee with objectivity. Regardless
of overlaps, the analysis of these steps indicate that employeremployee/employee-customer communications cannot lose
sight of “consideration of others.” The steps given for
Employer-Employee or Employee-Customer communicates
point to a critical need for empathetic listening in work
relationships—a not-too-surprising finding. We can expect
work-related, communications requirements. The supervisoremployee listening empathies provide insights which may
warrant further study. For instance, if the literature is replete
with suggested steps for the supervisor to improve a listening
ability, what controlled observational studies are being
conducted to determine if indeed these steps are needed, or to
determine lithe supervisor is succeeding in implementing them?
Finally, is the supervisor an empathetic listener?
Empathy
Empathy is the ergonomics of listening communication. The
concern is over the physical, psychological, and sociological
comfort of the worker. The listener’s empathy takes others into
consideration--their emotions, feelings, perspectives, points of
view, and environmental conditions.
Empathetic listening captures the most-frequently-mentioned
steps (75 of 132, or 57 percent), and is obviously the most
significant listening quality. The psychological aspects of
listening are empathy toward emotions. How to listen nonemotionally but empathetically was shown by nine steps, some
of which are: avoid becoming emotionally involved or
showing emotion regarding the message; put yourself in
another’s place by listening empathetically when someone has
problems and by listening to others’ wishes.
Failed communication is “often the fault of the receiver of the
message.” (Pulich) A lack of feedback is more often the case.
One-way communication from managers or supervisors
notoriously presents communication breakdowns. In contrast,
the supervisor who encourages two-way communication with
employee enhances the communication process as well as midmanagement policy.
Physical empathy is the effort to control the communication
environment. Most steps concerning the environment are
addressed to the speaker with the intent to improve the listener’s
comfort for effective reception. Like ergonomics, listening is
environmentally concerned as shown by steps that remind the
listener to provide a comfortable environment by scheduling
away from noise and distractions, and by making sure it is a
good time, a good place.
Consideration of What?
Two-way communication takes into consideration others’
perspectives. Of eight steps given for the empathetic listener to
be considerate of “Other’s Perspectives,” some. were focused
on the listener’s participation, patience, or perspectives. For
example, encourage others to participate, be patient with those
who speak slowly, and consider the employee’s or client’s
perspectives. Being an active communicator apparently does
not mean being assertive, or an aggressive communicator.
Only one step was provided for the listener to “Persuade.”
Does a SUP supervise without persuasion?
Consideration of Others
Empathetic listing is considerate listening. If one is to be
“considerate of Others,” the inevitable questions arc, “Of
whom? Of what?”
Steps for the improvement of listening are addressed to the
listener. The speaker, as the transmitter of the message, reaps
the benefits of effective communication and is never far away
from the listener’s thoughts. As suggested by five pro-speaker
steps, the receptive listener should: focus on the speaker’s
main points, let the speaker know you are interested, look at
the speaker, put oneself in the speaker’s place, and show signs
of understanding.
Persuasive communication deserves more attention than that
suggested by the steps provided in the literature. In addition to
perspectives, it is important for the empathetic listener to
distinguish between “Facts & Feelings.” Of five suggested
steps, the main message is to attach facts to main points, and to
write down important facts. Interestingly, it is pointed out that
listening to facts only can be a bad habit.
Consideration of Whom?
The preceding steps prioritize the speaker’s role. The speaker’s
listening role nevertheless is high priority in a business
environment. Those normally doing the speaking--the
manager, supervisor or financial planner--are encouraged to
listen empathetically to the client, customer or employee. the
-17-
ABEA Journal; Volume 25, Fall 2006
Originally in Volume 7, 1988
A classroom activity, for example, where a student is assigned
to “take notes on a lecture for classroom distribution’ is
developing good note-taking, listening-interpreting abilities.
Consideration of Others –How?
To listen emphatically means to listen with “Objectivity,” with
“Observations rather than Over reactions,” and with
“Sensitivity.” Four “Big 0” steps are concerned with maintaining objectivity as one observes nonverbal actions and with
not overreacting to words or ideas. yet, the important objective
is to be sensitive to what lies between words. The shift to the
“Big-O”—Other versus Own—places much emphasis on
listening to “the other side,” “the other half.”
Implications
The purpose of this report was to do an analysis of suggested
steps in the literature and to derive implications for business
teachers to use in training their students to become better
listeners. The sampled literature devoted to providing steps for
improved listening fails to disclose the process, or actual “howto,” behind the performance of these steps. Many implications
therefore are posed by the steps for listening instruction. Steps
that are saying “what to do versus “bow to do” are eliminating
the process by which effective listening can be accomplished.
Much finger pointing at the lack of attention given to–listening–
may not necessarily be true if one assesses the expansive
volume of literature devoted to the subject of listening. What
may be needed is not a discussion of what, which is easy to say,
but of how, which is difficult to do. The lack of process may
help explain why listening is the least taught of the
communication skills, where the gap lies. If Remembering and
Understanding—the ultimate components in the listening
process—receive minimal attention, is this to say that nothing is
being done to improve the listener’s abilities in these areas? If
efforts are being made, are they reaching the classroom?
Responses
An empathetic, considerate listener is a responsive listener.
Overreaction to words or feelings is a negative response;
whereas objectivity is a positive response. Responses can be in
the form of positive or negative feedback, confrontations,
evaluations, or the mere taking or notes.
“R” steps were provided for the communicator to become a
responsive listener. Some steps (of 15 “Response” steps):
Reacting, by nodding or smiling positively; Realizing, by
searching for areas of agreement with the speaker but letting
the speaker finish; Remembering, by responding to what was
heard, understood, evaluated; Repeating, by restating some of
the things said, or giving feedback to the speaker; and,
Responding to verbal signals in a calm, sympathetic manner to
ensure an objective/productive solution.
Close links between listening abilities also raise questions for
possible probes. Three characteristics of an active listener are
concentration (a barrier), attentiveness (a form of concentration),
and asking questions (a response). The interlinking, overlapping
problems posed by such abilities encourage the use of tests
which can be useful to identify a listener’s performance of any
given component in the listener’s communication process.
Many steps encourage the listener to “restate what has been
said.” (Coleman) Restatements, as a form of speaker follow-up,
are important feedback. Whether positive, which includes
interaction and interpretation; whether negative, resulting from
interruptions or stressful confrontation, feedback verifies for the
manager that the message is understood.
Bare mention is made of diagnostic tools which can be used to
identify and remedy the listening component creating the
problem in the listening process. Business teachers need to “take
note” of two testing tools which have a role in listening
instruction: First, a Ten-Question Quiz (by Reed) which
evaluates one’s own listening skills. Secondly, the Jones-Mohr
Listening Test which assesses listening efficiency development.
Evaluations
Evaluative responses, provided by 12 (or 9% of 132 steps), alert
the listener to abstain from making judgments on content and
the speaker. The listener can evaluate how effectively the
communicator speaks, listens, uses body language, or interacts
with others. The main evaluative theme is for the listener to
evaluate the message only when it is fully understood.
Evaluation with care, before premature judgments or snappy
decisions are made, is saying, “Communicators, Take Note.”
Research or instructional implications can derive from the
steps for the improvement of listening. The business teacher
can admonish the business student to: Remember and
Understand that An Active Listener needs to be Empathetic,
Responsive, and to Take Notes. In acronymic terms, the
business teacher is asking the student “R U ALERT?” The
business teacher who points to an Active Listener’s
Empathetic, Responsive Techniques is sounding a Listener’s
ALERT!
Take Notes
Among the many responses that an effective listener can make
is the active one to “Take Notes.” The recommendation, “Take
Notes,” is intended for the listener’s concentration and
understanding of the speaker’s main message. Getting
business students to “take notes,” to become a responsive
listener, should not be difficult to do in a business classroom.
-18-