Listen Up!
Ashton Pridgen
Ms. Sarah Higgins
Communications120-01A
March 4, 2013
Listen Up!
The concept of listening is acknowledged as an essential component of effective communication by many disciplines. Listening has always been considered a crucial component that people use to show that they care. According to the text book Interpersonal Communication, “Listening is a complex process of selecting, attending to, constructing meaning from, remembering, and responding to verbal and nonverbal messages” (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011). It is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the receiver. You will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What is more, you will avoid conflict and misunderstandings. When you listen, you take the words and sounds that you hear and attempt to make sense of them. The more accurately you interpret these words and sounds correctly from their deliverer, the better listener you become.
Applying listening to interpersonal communication can vary in many different ways. In interpersonal communication, you have two people taking part in a one-on-one conversation that ranges from semi-important to important conversation. If you were to ask your parents for permission to go to a party with your friends, you might listen more intently. If you compare that to just having a conversation with someone that was simply rambling on about a problem that they have going on in their life, the concept of listening will be implied differently. The answer you receive from your parents, determining if you would be able to attend this party or not, is much more important to you than having to hear about your friend’s problems. In both of these very different situations, listening is an essential part of the conversations. In comparing these two situations, listening is more important when being
Ms. Sarah Higgins
Communications120-01A
March 4, 2013
Listen Up!
The concept of listening is acknowledged as an essential component of effective communication by many disciplines. Listening has always been considered a crucial component that people use to show that they care. According to the text book Interpersonal Communication, “Listening is a complex process of selecting, attending to, constructing meaning from, remembering, and responding to verbal and nonverbal messages” (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011). It is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the receiver. You will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What is more, you will avoid conflict and misunderstandings. When you listen, you take the words and sounds that you hear and attempt to make sense of them. The more accurately you interpret these words and sounds correctly from their deliverer, the better listener you become.
Applying listening to interpersonal communication can vary in many different ways. In interpersonal communication, you have two people taking part in a one-on-one conversation that ranges from semi-important to important conversation. If you were to ask your parents for permission to go to a party with your friends, you might listen more intently. If you compare that to just having a conversation with someone that was simply rambling on about a problem that they have going on in their life, the concept of listening will be implied differently. The answer you receive from your parents, determining if you would be able to attend this party or not, is much more important to you than having to hear about your friend’s problems. In both of these very different situations, listening is an essential part of the conversations. In comparing these two situations, listening is more important when being
Cited: Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal Communication: Relating To Others (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. Whitbourne, S. K. (2012). Filfillment at any age. Psychology Today. Retrieved from the Psychology Today website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201203/11-ways-active-listening-can-help-your-relationships Wood, J.T. (2010). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.