BadListeningHabitsandCuresRL.docVIP

Listening Listening is one of the most important and frequent activities of human behavior. People spend close to fifty percent of their waking time listening. Most people realize that it is important to listen carefully when teachers lecture, friends talk, parents or advisors provide information, bosses explain things, or radio commentators report the news. Unfortunately, some listening habits prevent people from fully understanding what they hear. By knowing what these habits are, you can avoid them and become better listeners. The exercises and activities in this chapter will help you improve your ability to listen effectively in a variety of situations. Bad Listening Habits and Their Cures 1. Being Distracted by the Speakers Appearance or Delivery Habit: Some people dont listen to what a speaker is saying because they are concentrating on the persons speech patterns, gestures, posture, clothes, or appearance. For example, a friend of Johns father was explaining how to apply for a job with his company. John was so busy admiring the mans gold watch and expensive suit that John forgot to listen to what he was being told. Cure: Concentrate on what the speaker is saying, not on how he or she looks or sounds. You can miss important information by thinking about a persons appearance or delivery style instead of paying attention to his or her words. 2. Deciding the Topic Is Boring Habit: Some people decide in advance that they will be bored by what the speaker is going to talk about and use this prejudice as an excuse not to listen. For example, the president of a local bank came to speak to a group of college students about inflation. Emma decided that she wasnt interested in the topic and would be bored, so she brought a newspaper to read during the bankers speech. The speaker gave excellent suggestions about fighting inflation and saving money. All of Emmas friends thought it was a great speech with much useful information. But she mis