Lecture No: 20

Causes of Poor Listening

Research shows that after two days we retain only one fourth of what we hear. Therefore
inefficiency of listening can be harmful for an organization. Some of the common poor habits of
listening are as follows:

 Inattentiveness
 Pseudo listening
 Focusing on delivery
 Rehearsing
 Interrupting
 Hearing what is expected
 Avoiding uninteresting and difficult material
 Getting defensive
 Being on the offensive
 Prejudices against the speaker
 Thinking speed is greater than speed of delivery of words
 Semantic stereotyping, i.e, certain word bother us
 External distractions such as noise, bold dress, strong perfumes

How to Improve It?

Effective listening calls for attention both for speaker and the listener. Following are the
skill to be involved in listening:
 Concentration: Paying attention to the speaker.
 Preparation: Preparing for the topic to be cover by the speaker.
 Show interest
 Listening for the whole message: Listening to voice, inflection, emotions, etc.
 Empathy: Putting oneself in listener’s position.
 Listening before evaluation: Listening without premature conclusions.
 Note taking: This is considered to be important technique.
 Paraphrasing: Simply restating what the speaker said.
 Body Language: Positive body language helps facilitate listening.
Since listening is a two way process both listener and the speaker make the
process effective.
See also Business Communication by Selthi.