The Listening Process

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The Listening Process
Shifting Focus Experts say
In communication, our concern usually is more
from the point of view of the sender, focusing on
how to create a message to which our audience
would listen. However, this topic will shift the
focus to the receiving end of the communication
process. After all, communication is always a
two-way street. We listen at only 25 percent
efficiency. So, we simply ignore, forget, or
misinterpret 75 percent of the messages we hear.
Perception
Interpretation
Evaluation
Action
Last Updated December 26, 2009
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Ears, Eyes, and Heart
Senses Conscious Effort Pseudolisten
ing
The listening process begins with hearing sounds
and moving your eyes toward the source that
creates the noise. Hearing sounds doesnt mean
we are listening. Listening is a conscious act.
It requires listeners to stop for a moment and
tune in to these sounds. Listening is selective,
we can choose to ignore the sounds surrounding
us. A social skill used to politely reject or
ignore a speakers message.
Perception
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What is Your Point?
Mental Barriers The Point is

• Frame of reference leads to prejudgment
• Cultural
• Educational
• Social
• You may have decoded the message quite
  differently from what the speaker intended.

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What is Your Conclusion?
Facts vs. Fiction The conclusion is
After decoding the meaning of a message, we
usually filter out the important data from the
message data that is meaningful or interesting
to us. Have I learned anything in this
communication process? If a listener concluded
that he hasnt learned anything new or important
to him/her from a speaker in the first few
minutes, he will usually perform the
pseudolistening technique to ignore the speaker.
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What Do I Do With the Information?
Response
What we do with the information we heard can
potentially change the way we live or behave. In
an organizational setting, how we respond to
information or data exchange is often called
knowledge management. Mishandling knowledge in a
company can mean a loss of business or employees.