Page 48 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Human Communication Processes in the Small Group Context 31

Content-oriented listeners are the group members who really enjoy analyzing the
things they hear and are drawn to highly credible sources. You may observe these Content-Oriented
Listener
members using graphs, quoting sources, bringing research to the group, and dissect-
ing the information and arguments of others. These listeners can also be seen as A listener who enjoys
analyzing information
overly critical and maybe even intimidating to other members. Their analytical skills, and dissecting
while valuable, may also slow the group down and can even serve to devalue informa- others’ arguments;
tion they do not see as important, such as anecdotes. can be seen as
Time-oriented listeners can be identified by their attempts to schedule group overly critical.
meeting and activity times, their sensitivity to nonverbal cues that may indicate impa-
tience, and their focus on moving the group along in a timely manner. The creative
and spontaneous discussions so necessary to problem solving can pose difficulties for Time-Oriented Listener
these listeners. They also discourage additional discussion as the group nears the end A listener sensitive to
of its scheduled meeting time. time; may be
Listening preferences are learned and no one is best. A group member’s prefer- impatient or try to
ence is influenced by many factors, including the nature of the relationships between move the group
group members and time constraints. Take the time to observe how members’ behav- prematurely to
iors help identify their preferences. Be willing to shift your preference to suit the closure.
immediate needs of the group and be willing to encourage the productive use of all
the preferences.
Now that you understand better the consequences of poor listening to small
group communication and the different listening preferences members bring to a
group, we hope that you want to improve your listening. We present for your con-
sideration a tested technique to help you take responsibility for your listening
choices.

Effective Listening in the Small Group
Listening effectively is an active process requiring as much effort as speaking; it
involves the choice to listen. No matter how great the speaker is, it is the listener who
chooses how to listen, to whom, and when. Thus it is the listener who holds the power
in the small group interaction. Therefore, it is to your advantage to understand what a
good listener does and to use effective listening techniques yourself. 34
35
Good listeners keep in mind four important things. Good listeners pay attention
to the context of what is said. Have you ever been “quoted out of context”? If so, you
know that context can change the entire meaning of what is said. Good listeners pay
close attention to the feelings of the speaker. Remember the relationship dimension of a
message? Good listeners “read between the lines” of what is said and interpret how
messages are said for information about how others feel. Kelli’s agitated mood in our
opening case frames what she has to say about Tyler, and Lam understands that. Good
listeners help facilitate understanding in a group by actively helping speakers clarify
confusing behavior. And finally, good listeners interpret silence carefully. Silence, for
example, may mean that someone does not understand, disagrees, is apathetic, or is
holding back information for all kinds of reasons. Silence can even be a sign of respect
to others. If you are listening carefully and do not understand the silence, you should
ask for clarification.

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