Listening is a critical component of the communication process and an essential workplace skill. Employees who listen can make informed decisions, navigate workplace relationships, better accomplish tasks, and discern the legitimacy of information. Organizations with leaders who listen can attract and retain top talent because they build trustworthy and transparent relationships, understand concerns, and remove barriers to workplace processes (Arshad, 2023).
In some situations, we may listen to understand, while in others, we listen to evaluate. When listening to understand or evaluate, the goal should always be to be mindful, engaged in the moment, and assume that the speaker has good intentions.
A few ways to better listen for understanding include withholding judgment, interrupting less, asking questions, paraphrasing, and paying attention to nonverbal cues (Adler et al., 2021). Withholding judgment helps save your mental energy evaluating before fully understanding. If naturally talkative, try interrupting less to see how much more you gain from trying to lead the conversation. Think about when you see a doctor –those who allow individuals to share symptoms generally make better recommendations. However, the speaker generally appreciates asking questions. Do this to gather thoughts and details, clarify meaning, and encourage the speaker to elaborate.
Paraphrasing invites the speaker to verify or clarify how you have interpreted what they said. You may need to paraphrase to accurately interpret the content of what the speaker is sharing, the intent behind what the speaker is sharing, or the feelings that the speaker is subtly sharing. Paraphrasing can help you learn the why behind what is being shared and is especially important when working through sticky conflicts. Start your paraphrase with “What I believe you are saying is…” Paying attention not only to what the speaker is saying and how they are saying it can provide critical information about what is being said. Think gestures, posture, vocal tone, and, of course, facial expressions. Also, consider how you give feedback with your non-verbal cues. Will the speaker be willing to share with you fully if they do not believe you are listening and responding appropriately? Consider body posture, eye contact, nodding, and vocalized fillers (Mmmhmm). Showing that you are listening and engaged, immediacy, can go a long way.
When listening to evaluate, you analyze the information the speaker is sharing and how they are sharing it. Questions to mentally ask are: Is the information accurate, and can it be verified by reliable sources? Is the information relevant to the topic being shared? Is there enough information to support any claims? You will also want to examine if there is a significant level of emotional appeal and if it obscures or overwhelms important logical considerations. Is the speaker trying to win the audience over based on reason and logic or cater to emotional sensitivities? These are all good things to consider when developing critical thinking skills while listening.
Listening Styles
Due to personality and other behavioral tendencies, you may find yourself a stronger listener in some situations than others. Individuals have natural orientations toward people, content, action, and time that help describe listening styles (Villaume & Bodie, 2007; Watson et al., 1995)
Listening styles provide a framework for understanding how individuals attend to people and information in social settings. Individuals with different listening styles and goals often perceive and understand messages differently, particularly in terms of focusing on emotions versus content.
Relational listening focuses on understanding the emotional states of others and is associated with relationally oriented communication styles (Bodie et al., 2013). People engaged in relational listening are concerned with emotionally connecting to understand how others feel. This involves more interest in understanding and supporting rather than evaluating. A beneficial aspect of this listening style is that those being listened to are generally satisfied to feel heard. A detrimental aspect of this listening style is the risk of over-involvement with others’ feelings, which can lead to internalizing or adopting them. Additionally, one may lose the ability to assess the quality of information being shared. Think about supporting a friend as they share problems. Do you ever lose the ability to objectively help them, if needed, because you are so concerned with being supportive? This listening style can also feel intrusive if others do not want to connect.
Analytical listening is concerned with receiving the entire message before passing judgment. They want details and time to analyze from various perspectives. Consider this a consultant style: taking in as much information as possible before making a recommendation or conclusion. A beneficial aspect of this listening style is that one can look at issues from various perspectives, which is especially helpful when the goal is to thoroughly assess the quality of ideas. Though, this approach can be time-consuming and laborious to engage in if a deadline is approaching.
Task-oriented listening is characterized by systematic information processing and a focus on cognitive aspects (Bodie et al., 2013). People engaged in task-oriented listening are interested in getting the job done. The ability to be efficient is valued, and often, the expectation of speakers is that they get to the point. A beneficial aspect of this listening style is that it is helpful when trying to keep a business functioning efficiently. A detrimental aspect of this listening style is that one can be seen as impatient, straining relationships by appearing unempathetic or aggressive. Additionally, thoughtful deliberation may be disregarded when needed while focusing on time and tasks.
Critical listening involves focusing on the correctness of a message and attentive processing of message content (Bodie et al., 2013). People engaged in critical listening evaluate messages to accept or reject them. They tend to assess quality, focusing on accuracy and consistency rather than just receiving the information. A beneficial aspect of this listening style is that it is helpful when the goal is to investigate. A detrimental aspect of this listening style is that others may become frustrated, feeling that the listener nitpicks everything.
Listening styles are habitual, though it is possible to adapt your listening styles based on situational cues and personal development (Watson et al., 1995). Awareness of your dominant style and the types of situations in which different styles may be more beneficial can help you become a better listener and more effective contributor in the workplace.
For each of the above listening styles, describe a situation in which each style would be effective. This situation should come from your own experience; however, if you cannot think of a personal experience, write about a hypothetical one. Support your answers. Describe how and why the listening style would be effective and why other styles would not be as effective.
References:
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G. R., & Dupré A. (2021). Essential communication. (2nd ed.) Oxford University Press.
Arshad, R. (2023, January 5). The importance of listening for organizational success. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/01/05/the-importance-of-listening-for-organizational-success/?sh=799e590a4010
Bodie, G. D., Worthington, D. L., & Gearhart, C. C. (2013). The Revised Listening Styles Profile (LSP-R): Development and validation. Communication Quarterly, 61, 72-90. doi: 10.1080/01463373.2012.720343
Villaume, W. A., & Bodie, G. D. (2007). Discovering the listener within us: The impact of trait-like personality variables and communicator style on preferences for listening style. International Journal of Listening, 21, 102-123. doi: 10.1080/10904010701302006
Watson, K. W., Barker, L. L., & Weaver III, J. B. (1995). The listening styles profile (LSP-16): Development and validation of an instrument to assess four listening styles. International Journal of Listening, 9, 1–13.