7.4.1 Becoming an effective listener
There are some skills that, with practice, can improve your listening competence. First, we need to be aware of the different approaches to listening discussed above and use them appropriately based on the communication situation. Some more general skills identified in Yoder et al. (1996) are:
- Generate an interest in the topic to avoid boredom.
- Adapt to the other person's appearance and style to avoid distraction.
- Listen for concepts and major ideas.
- Don't fake attention or pretend to listen; be genuine.
- Listen to the entire message before evaluating.
- Listen to difficult material and be challenged by it.
Competence in listening is determined by how well all people in the communication process understood each other and how well they communicated this understanding. This chapter explored the process of listening and barriers that may inhibit listening. It is also emphasised that listening involves clarifying and understanding the message by taking an active interest in the communication process.
Summary activity
Monitor your listening over two days. Note any ineffective behaviours such as interrupting people, switching off or finishing people's sentences. How can you improve these?
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