What Did You Say?

What Did You Say?

by: Craig Warner

INTRODUCTION

People tend to put little energy into the art of listening. The text, Management Communication, written by Arthur H. Bell and Dayle M. Smith contains interesting insight on this matter. According to the text, "We mistakenly assume that hearing is the same as listening."

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARING AND LISTENING

Bell and Smith state in their text that, "Hearing is the physical capacity to sense sounds. Whether the speaker is speaking in Japanese, Greek, or Laotian, those present can hear the words spoken. What those sounds mean, of course, and how they are understood makes all the difference for understanding them. The perception and meaning and the sometimes difficult task of achieving and understanding both require the power to listen." The website www.dictionary.com says to listen is, "to pay attention." People need to understand what listening is and the different types of listening.

TYPES OF LISTENING

Page 356 of the text Management Communication explores the four different types of listening:

1. Passive Listening

2. Attentive Listening

3. Interactive Listening

4. Empathetic Listening

Passive Listening

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