Communications
As its most basic function of receiving coded messages, listening is a necessary component of communication in the workplace. Without listening, communication is a one-way street; a message is orphaned without an audience. Listening is a critical enough component of communications to warrant its own professional journal, the International Journal of Listening. To listen means much more than to hear, or even to take notes during a lecture, or even to respond. Listening entails a cluster of activities, attitudes, and cognitive states that create conduciveness to communications effectiveness. Listening is the cornerstone of effective communication in any workplace environment, and the most important skill of effective communicators.
There are many different types of listening behaviors, and some are more effective than others in certain situations. Effective communications depend on an understanding of what not to do, as well as what to do to foster listening behaviors. Rester (2012) identifies seven specific listening responses that have been deemed categorically ineffective. These ineffective listening behaviors include interruptions, inserting unrelated comments, focusing on the self, discounting, blaming, evaluating, and giving advice. When one of these types of listening behaviors manifests in an interpersonal interaction in a workplace setting, conflict often arises. The actual source of the conflict can be traced to the ineffective listening strategies employed by one or the other colleague. However, leaders might be unaware that poor listening is a culprit. This is why leaders must create active strategies to encourage listening in the workplace. The strategies to encourage listening could include formal training and seminars on how to develop effective listening skills. Other strategies include timely targeted interventions when...
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