Listening and
Responding to Others
The Listening Process
-Hearing:
- physiological
-Listening:
- a several step
process
Mindfulness
- An ethical commitment to attend fully to others in
particular moments
- Focusing on what is happening in the moment
- Focusing on the people with whom you are interacting
- It increases our understanding
-It promotes more complete communication by
others
Physically Receiving
Communication
- sounds
- interpreting nonverbal behaviors
- reading lips
- ASL
Selecting and Organizing
Communication
What we attend to depends on:
- physiological influences
- expectations
- cognitive structures
- social roles
- membership in cultures & social communities
Interpreting Communication
Depends on your ability to understand
others on their terms.
- This is an ethical responsibility of listening.
Responding
- Expressing interest
- Asking questions
- Voicing your own ideas
- Communicating attentiveness
Remembering
- 35% of what we hear after 8 hours
-We selectively focus our attention on what is
important to us
Obstacles to Effective Listening
Situational Obstacles:
- incomprehensibility
- message complexity
- message overload
- environmental distractions
Internal Obstacles:
- preoccupation
- prejudgment
- lack of effort
-reacting to emotionally loaded
language
-not recognizing diverse listening
styles
Forms of Ineffective Listening
- Monopolizing
- Selective listening
- Defensive listening
- Ambushing
- Pseudo listening
- Literal listening
Guidelines for Effective Listening
Informational and Critical Listening:
- be mindful
- ask questions
- control your obstacles
- use aides to recall
Relationship Listening:
- be mindful
-understand the other’s
perspective
- suspend judgment
- express support