1. Chapter 6
Listening

2. • Outline the listening process and styles of
listening
• List the reasons why we listen
• Identify challenges to good listening and
their remedies
• Identify attitudinal and ethical factors that
inhibit listening
• Describe how context affects listening
Chapter Outcomes

3. • Hearing
–Physiological, involuntary
process of perceiving sound
• Listening
–The process of recognizing,
understanding, and accurately
interpreting and responding effectively
to the messages you hear
How We Listen

4. • Selecting
• Attending
• Understanding
• Remembering
• Responding
The Listening Process

5. The Listening Process
(cont.)
• Active listening
– Requires active participation in making
choices about selecting, attending, and
so on
• Passive listening
– Means failing to make active choices
• Listening fidelity
– How well the listener’s thoughts match
those of the message producer

6. • People-oriented listeners
– Listen with relationships in mind
• Action-oriented listeners
– Focus on tasks
Personal Listening
Preferences

7. Personal Listening
Preferences (cont.)
• Content-oriented listeners
– Evaluate what they hear
• Time-oriented listeners
– Consider efficiency most of all

8. • Meeting Listening
Goals
– Informational listening
– Critical listening
– Empathic listening
– Appreciative listening
Why We Listen

9. • The Value of Listening Well
– Helps your career
– Saves you time and money
– Creates opportunities
– Strengthens relationships
Why We Listen (cont.)

10. • Listening barriers:
– Factors that interfere with our ability to
comprehend information and respond
appropriately
Listening Challenges

11. • Environmental factors include:
– Loud noise, unpleasant temperatures,
visual distractions
• Hearing and processing challenges
include:
– Medical issues related to age, physical
condition
Listening Challenges
(cont.)

12. Listening Challenges
(cont.)
• Multitasking
– Impairs our ability to focus on any one thing
• Boredom and overexcitement
– Distract effective listening
• Attitudes about listening
– Talking seems more powerful
– Overconfidence and laziness
– Listening apprehension

13. • Unethical Listening Behaviors
– Defensive listening involves
responding with aggression without fully
listening.
– Selective listening zeros in on bits of
interesting information.
– Selfish listening means hearing only
what will help listeners meet their own
goals.
• Monopolistic listening: listening to
control the interaction
Listening Challenges
(cont.)

14. • Unethical Listening Behaviors (cont.)
– Hurtful listening may include attacking
or ambushing.
– Insensitive listening means missing
the emotional content of a message.
– Pseudolistening means pretending to
listen by nodding or saying “uh-huh.”
Listening Challenges
(cont.)

15. • Relational and
situational contexts
• Cultural context
• Technological context
Listening in Context