13.7 Improving Listening Competence

We can develop competence within each stage of the listening process, as the following list indicates:^[1]

• To improve listening at the receiving stage,

  • prepare yourself to listen,
  • discern between intentional messages and noise,
  • concentrate on stimuli most relevant to your listening purpose(s) or goal(s),
  • be mindful of the selection and attention process as much as possible,
  • avoid interrupting someone while they are speaking in order to maintain your ability to receive stimuli and listen, and,
  • pay attention so you can follow the conversational flow.
    • For more on the important of paying attention and being present check out this HBR article, If you aspire to be a great leader, be present
• To improve listening at the interpreting stage,

• • identify main points and supporting points;
  • use contextual clues from the person or environment to discern additional meaning;
  • be aware of how a relational, cultural, or situational context can influence meaning;
  • be aware of the different meanings of silence; and
  • note differences in tone of voice and other paralinguistic cues that influence meaning.

• To improve listening at the recalling stage,

  • use multiple sensory channels to decode messages and make more complete memories;
  • repeat, rephrase, and reorganize information to fit your cognitive preferences; and
  • use mnemonic devices as a gimmick to help with recall.

• To improve listening at the evaluating stage,

  • separate facts, inferences, and judgments;
  • be familiar with and able to identify persuasive strategies and fallacies of reasoning;
  • assess the credibility of the speaker and the message; and
  • be aware of your own biases and how your perceptual filters can create barriers to effective listening.

• To improve listening at the responding stage,

  • reflect information to check understanding,
  • ask appropriate clarifying and follow-up questions,
  • give feedback that is relevant to the speaker’s purpose/motivation for speaking,
  • adapt your response to the speaker and the context, and
  • do not let the preparation and rehearsal of your response diminish earlier stages of listening.