Page 157 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

• Listening involves six interdependent steps: hearing, understanding, remem-
bering, interpretation, evaluation, and responding.
• Listening is important to our success in school, work, and our relationships.

• We spend much more time listening than speaking.
• Potential obstacles to listening include misconceptions such as:

• Listening is easy.
• Listening is a matter of intelligence.

• Good readers make good listeners.
• Listening needn’t be planned.

• Other potential obstacles to look out for include:
• The physical conditions of the speech transaction.
• Cultural differences.

• Personal problems.

• Bias.
• Confusion about connotative meaning.
• Anxiety.

• Poor listening habits.
• The types and goals of listening are tied to each other.

• Listening can be directed at appreciating and enjoying different forms of
communication, greater understanding, empathy, and providing speakers
with constructive feedback.
• Listening is a skill both mental and behavioral.

• Effective listening skills require practice in:
• Mindfulness.

• Choosing to selectively attend to speakers and messages.
• Listening with as many sensory channels as possible.

• Recognizing and making an effort to overcome the preceding
obstacles.

• Blocking out distracting stimuli.
• Suspending judgment.
• Focusing on a speaker’s main points.

• Listening for highlights and transitions.
• Taking effective notes.

Audience members should provide constructive feedback to speakers, and
124 speakers should listen with an open mind to audience feedback.