1. Ways to Become a Better Listener
1.1. Take listening seriously
1.1.1. Practice and self-discipline
1.1.2. Working to improve listening skills
1.2. Become an active listener
1.2.1. Do not be distracted by internal or external interference
1.2.2. Do not prejudge the speaker
2. Types of Listening
2.1. Critical listening involves evaluating a message either to accept it or reject it
2.1.1. Example: Sales pitch or Campaign Speech
2.2. Comprehensive listening focuses on understanding the speaker’s message.
2.2.1. Example: Lectures or Getting Direction from someone
2.3. Empathic listening is listening to provide emotional support for the speaker.
2.3.1. Example: Counselors or Friends ranting to us
2.4. Appreciative listening is listening for pleasure or enjoyment.
2.4.1. Example: Music
3. Importance of Listening
3.1. Important job skill.
3.1.1. Effective listeners hold higher positions and are promoted more often than poor listeners
3.1.2. Business managers rank listening as the communication skill most crucial to their jobs.
3.2. Useful in academics
3.2.1. Students with the highest grades are usually those with the strongest listening skills.
4. Causes of Poor Listening
4.1. Jumping to conclusions also prevents listeners from hearing messages accurately
4.1.1. Assuming we know what someone is going to say before that person actually speaks
4.1.2. Prematurely rejecting a speaker’s ideas as boring or misguided without hearing the entire message
4.2. Not concentrating is one cause of poor listening.
4.2.1. Human brain processes information very efficiently, it is easy for listeners to become distracted