Effective Listening

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Theoretical

According to listening expert and researcher Dr. Ralph Nichols "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them”. Listening as Nichols points out is both necessary and an integral aspect of the communication process and is one of the most important skills one can acquire. Although critically important in everyday and professional affairs the specific skill of effectively listening unfortunately is lacking in most people. The ability to listen effectively significantly impacts all relationships be it professional, personal or social. The prevailing issue with effective listening however is two-fold, in not truly understanding the meaning of listening and not possessing the tools required to be an effective listener.

The skill of listening according to Dr. Robert Bolton (1979) extends beyond simply hearing sound as a physiological sensory process but instead requires and involves interpreting and understanding the sensory experience or what is being heard (p 32). It also is an active experience wherein the listener is fully engaged and has absorbed the information of the speaker while showing interest and providing feedback all while demonstrating that they have heard and understand the message. It is a fair assertion that most people in varying relationships and environments listen in what is considered a passive capacity or only digesting and processing bits and pieces of the speaker’s message. This type of listening lends itself to frequent miscommunication, mixed messages and overall misunderstandings. Effective listening on the other hand provides concise communication, decreases interpersonal conflict and mistakes and also...

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...ividuals that truly listen and acknowledge those ideas and message. In today’s workforce perfecting the skill of effective listening is an ability and technique that can lead to growth and success if properly applied. Finally, as Nichols’ accurately accounted “listening is hard work” (1961) and I believe that it is a skill that must be proactively developed and honed over time requiring concerted and focused effort (Nichols, p. 124).

Works Cited

Bolton, R. (1979). People skills: How to assert yourself, listen to others, and resolve conflicts (pp. 1-113). Englewood, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Hamilton, C. (2011). Communicating for result: A guide for business and the professions (9th ed., pp. 123-130). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Nichols, R. G. (1961, March). Do we know how to listen? Practical helps in a modern age. The Speech Teacher, 10(2), 118-124.

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