41
CHAPTER FOUR: MANAGING LISTENING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE
Objectives
Be aware of how listening influences the organizational climate.
Develop the listening skills needed to enhance relationship communication.
Improve the openness of communication through active listening applications.
Use active listening for accuracy, paraphrasing, and feedback
Avoid communication omissions
Key Terms: communication omission, faulty listening, listening and communication
climate,
Chapter Teaching Notes
I. The Significance of Listening in Organizations
A. use of listening
B. Organizational outcomes and listening
II. Explaining Listening Deficits
A. Selectivity in listening to information: exposure, attention, retention
B. Enhance information sharing
III. Avoid Communication Omission filtering out or omitting significant information in relating
to others in the business and communication setting
A. Reasons for omission:
2. Ignoring uncomfortable messages
4. Interruption occurs
6. When not using feedback or paraphrase
7. When free from ego threat
IV. How to Improve Listening Skills
A. Not interrupting
B. Being an active listener (nodding, taking notes, making comments when appropriate)
C. Giving your full attention and blocking out background noise
D. Keeping an open mind and taking time to think about what been said before
responding
E. Asking for clarification is something is unclear
V. Active Listening
A. Strategies
B. Steps in effective listening
C. Barriers to effective listening
42
Case Study
The Case of The Missing Information
A small manufacturing company in Oklahoma made valves and piping. In a special, urgent
job
for
some 1,000 valves, the supervisor assembled the machinists for the project and explained the
blueprints. After telling them how important the project was to the company, he then asked if
there were any questions. The long silence was concluded by the supervisor admonition to work
hard and quickly.
Later, the company leaders were inspecting the project in its early stage. To their horror, many of
the valves to this point were made incorrectly. That day, they scrapped thousands of dollars worth
of parts, not to mention the labor and delays caused.
In your opinion, what are the possibilities of what went wrong? What could you have done
if
you
were one of the employees? The supervisor? The executive leadership? The customer? The
raw materials supplier?
Class Exercises:
1. Objective: To help students understand the link between listening consequences in
communication theory.
Time:20 minutes
Directions: Ask students to write about an experience they had when someone failed to listen
a. Why might the person have done this?
b. Was this situation viewed as negative in some way?
2. Objective: How does listening affect others? Reinforce the idea of listening in everyday
living.
Time: 20 minutes
Directions: For each scenario, ask students to guess how they think the situation will end.
After a discussion, have students note positive and negative outcomes related to listening.
a. Tamisha is a responsible person who studies hard at her university. She is
a junior
who to this point has made a 4.0 GPA by listening in class and studying hard
b. A telecommunicaiton company in the Northern U.S. employs Chandler. He is
very independent and likes his job because the culture has few rules and he is
free to make most of his own decisions. Chandler also likes to get along with
3. Objective: Create a fuller understanding of listening in real life contexts.
Time: 30 minutes first class, 30 minutes second class
Directions: In one class period, have students watch a video relating to business and
professional communication or a related topic. After they watch it, develop a short summary
and what they remember the most about it. In the next class period, ask them to watch it again
and while they watch make a brief outline of all the topics covered. Then, discuss selectivity
4. Objective: Allow students to see listening theory in practice.
Time: 15 minutes
Directions: Have students list their two closest relationships as well as at least two
relationships that are much less close. For each, have them make a listening deficits list
(like
a
pro and con list). What is true in their lists regarding listening concepts?
Discussion Questions
1. How do we go about misunderstanding others because of faulty listening habits? Why do we
do this?
2. How can you develop an organizational listening climate? What are the benefits?
3. How can you achieve improved listening skills? Why is that important?
4. How are selectivity and information omission similar and how are they different?
5. What do you think are your biggest listening strengths and weaknesses? What can you do to
enhance skills?