This chapter discusses listening and outlines the listening process. It describes listening as an active process that involves selecting, attending to, understanding, remembering, and responding to messages. The chapter identifies different listening styles such as active, passive, and fidelity listening. It also discusses why we listen, including to gain information, understand critically, empathize, and appreciate. Challenges to listening like distractions, biases, and unethical behaviors are described along with how context impacts the listening experience.

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