Mindful Listening - CH6

The Listening Process

• Involves several stages:

  • Being mindful

  • Physically receiving messages

  • Selecting and organizing information

  • Interpreting communication

  • Responding

  • Remembering

Obstacles to Mindful Listening

• External obstacles:

  • Message overload: Too much information to process effectively.

  • Message complexity: Information is too difficult to understand.

  • Noise: Environmental or other distractions.

• Internal obstacles:

  • Preoccupation: Being focused on one's own thoughts and feelings.

  • Prejudgment: Deciding ahead of time that someone or something is not important or interesting.

  • Reacting to emotionally loaded language: Becoming defensive or upset by certain words or phrases.

  • Lack of effort: Not paying attention or trying to understand.

  • Failure to adapt listening styles: Not adjusting listening approach to the situation.

Forms of Nonlistening

• Pseudolistening: Pretending to listen.

• Monopolizing: Turning the conversation to oneself.

• Selective listening: Only paying attention to certain parts of the message.

• Defensive listening: Perceiving criticism when none is intended.

• Ambushing: Listening for the purpose of attacking the speaker.

• Literal listening: Focusing only on the surface level of the message and ignoring the underlying meaning.

Adapting Listening to Communication Goals

• Listening for pleasure

• Listening for information

  • Be mindful

  • Control obstacles

  • Ask questions

  • Use aids to recall

  • Organize information

• Listening to support others

  • Be mindful

  • Be careful of expressing judgment

  • Understand the other person’s perspective

    • Paraphrase

    • Use minimal encouragement

    • Ask questions

  • Express support

Guidelines for Effective Listening

• Be mindful

• Adapt listening appropriately