Listening:
The Neglected Skill
Overview
• Listening: The Neglected Skill
– Listening vs Hearing
– Definition
– A five step listening process
– What we know about it
– Why is listening so difficult
– Steps to better listening
– How to help someone listen to you
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Hearing vs Listening
• Hearing
– Physical act of receiving sound
– Passive process
– No effort
• Listening
– Selective process
– Active process
– Takes work
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Definition: Listening
A selective process of:
 receiving,
 attending to,
 understanding,
 Evaluating, and
 responding to auditory messages
Source: Steil, Barker &
Watson
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Five Step Listening Process
• Receiving – starts with a sound
• Attending to – paying attention to the sound
• Understanding – assigning meaning
“I get it!”
• Evaluating – agreeing or disagreeing
• Responding – action (verbal or non-verbal)
Listening: The Neglected Skill
What We Know About It
•Listening -- the most used communication skill
Research shows:
•Most people spend 70% of their waking time in
some form of communication activity
•Of this 70% of communication time:
-- 10% is spent on writing
-- 15% on reading
-- 30% on talking
-- 45% on listening
Listening: The Neglected Skill
What we know about it, cont.
•Listening - least developed of all
communication skills.
•Failure to listen is costly.
•Listening - one of the most valuable skills you
can develop.
•Listening classes/workshops improve listening
skills.
•Communication process depends on listening.
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Listening Habits Survey
Scoring: (20-100)
Almost always = 2
Usually = 4
Sometimes = 6
Seldom = 8
Almost never = 10
Listening Habits
Survey by Steil,
Barker and Watson
80 or above is exceptional
70 is around average or normal
Below 60 need improvement
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Listening-Why So Difficult?
• Uninteresting topics
• Speaker’s delivery, appearance, or voice
• Over stimulation by the
message
• Listening for facts
• Outlining everything
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Listening-Why So Difficult? Cont.
•
•
•
•
•
Faking attention
Internal and external distractions
Avoiding difficult material
Emotional words
Wasting the speed differential
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Steps to Better Listening
• Be conscious of your listening behavior
• Motivate yourself to listen
• Prepare to listen
• Control your reactions
• Work at listening
• Listen for ideas
• Concentrate on the message
Listening: The Neglected Skill
Listening Suggestions
How to Help Others Listen to You
• Be a good listener yourself
• Be interesting to talk to
• Use good eye contact
• Tell the truth
• Use the listener’s name regularly
Summary
• Listening: The Neglected Skill
– Listening vs Hearing
– Definition
– A five step listening process
– What we know about it
– Why is listening so difficult
– Steps to better listening
– How to help someone listen to you