Approaching the task of listening with a positive attitude and an open-mind will make the act of listening much easier. You’ll be better off determining an internal motivation to be attentive to the person speaking. Telling yourself this is all a waste of time is not going to help you to listen effectively. Of course, distinguishing the speaker’s primary goal, his main points, and the structure of the speech are all easier when the listener is able to listen with an open mind.Įven if you are paying attention, you could be doing so with the wrong attitude, the second A. Once this is done, it becomes easier for the listener to discern what is most important.
The key then is for the listener to quickly ascertain the speaker’s central premise or controlling idea. Listening is of the moment, and we often only get to hear the speaker’s words once. While reading a book, or having a discussion with an individual, you can go back and re-read or ask a question to clarify a point. This might be to write “Listen” at the top of a page in front of you in a meeting. He suggests listeners prepare themselves for active attention by creating a listening reminder. Hoppe (2006) advises active listening is really a state of mind requiring us to choose to focus on the moment, being present and attentive while disregarding any of our anxieties of the day. The poor listener grows impatient, while the effective listener uses the extra processing time to process the speaker’s words, distinguish key points, and mentally summarize them (Nichols, 1957). A typical person can speak 125 wordsper-minute, yet we can process up to three times faster, reaching as much as 500 words-per-minute. Yet, tests of listening comprehension show the average person listening at only 25% efficiency. Consider that we can process information four times faster than a person speaks. It is characterized by faster heart action, quicker circulation of the blood, a small rise in bodily temperature” (p. Nichols (1957), credited with first researching the field of listening, observed, “listening is hard work. Paying attention to what a speaker is saying requires intentional effort on your part. We know now that attention is the fundamental difference between hearing and listening. Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. Active listening can be broken down into three main elements. Effective listening requires concentration and a focused effort that is known as active listening. You must pay attention to whether or not you are only hearing, passively listening, or actively engaging.
\)Įffective listening is about selfawareness.
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