MCM301 Assignment No.1 2020

 

Task 1:

Identify at least ten (10) bad habits within you, which hinder your listening ability

Answer:

There are many ways to listen badly, sometimes affected by the listener and sometimes by the environment. Some of the most common bad listening habits are:

 

1.      Calling the Subject Dull

2.      Faking Attention

3.      Criticizing the Speaker

4.      Getting Overstimulated

5.      Tolerating Distraction

6.      Choosing Only What's Easy

7.      Rehearsing

8.      Filtering

9.      Daydreaming

10.  Debating

 

 

 

 

1.      Calling the Subject Dull

Bad listeners often find a subject too dry and dusty to command their attention and we use this as an excuse to wander off on a mental tangent.

 

2.      Faking Attention

The pose of chin propped on hand with gaze fixed on speaker does not guarantee good listening. Having adopted this pose, having shown the overt courtesy of appearing to listen to the speaker.

 

3.      Criticizing the Speaker

It's the indoor sport of most bad listeners to find fault with the way a speaker looks, acts, and talks. Good listeners may make a few of the same criticisms but they quickly begin to pay attention to what is said, not how it is said.

 

4.      Getting Overstimulated

Listening efficiency drops to zero when the listeners react so strongly to one part of the presentation that they miss what follows.  At the University, we think this bad habit is so critical that, in the classes where we teach listening, we put at the top of every blackboard the words.

 

5.      Tolerating Distraction

Poor listeners are easily distracted and may even create disturbances that interfere with their own listening efficiency and that of others. They squirm, talk with their neighbors, or shuffle papers. Certainly, they do not distract others.

6.      Choosing Only What's Easy

Often, we find the poor listeners have shunned listening to serious presentations on radio or television. There is plenty of easy listening available, and this has been their choice.

7.      Rehearsing

 

Rather than listen to the other person's point of view, we might be tempted to start forming our argument. Rehearsing what we are going to say and how we are going to say it, makes it impossible to hear the other person's message

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.      Filtering

 

Filtering may involve zoning in on the points that reinforce our argument, or discounting anything we don't want to hear.

 

9.      Daydreaming

 

It's easy for your mind to drift especially when we are involved in a lengthy conversation. Daydreaming, however, will cause we to miss out on the conversation.

 

10.  Debating

 

You can't listen when you're invested in debating. Interrupting, arguing, and disputing everything doesn't add value to the conversation.

 

 

 

 

Task 2: Suggest five (5) tips which help you to become a better listener

 

1.     Open up your body language. 

Your body language reveals your interest or disinterest in a story. When actively listening to someone, lean slightly forward and make eye contact.  A simple smile and the occasional nod will show that you're interested and engaged.

2.     Stay engaged. 

 

If you're in a busy area, focus more on the person you're with and less on what's going on around you. Similarly, while on the phone, turn your back to your computer and give the person you're talking to your full attention

 

3.     Ask questions. 

 

The two most powerful words in a conversation are, "Tell me." People will perk up when you ask them pertinent questions and listen attentively to their responses.

4.     Keep the eye-contact.

 

Looking everywhere except at the person talking can make it seem like you are not listening. And then the conversation suffers. So, keep the eye-contact. I found it easier to start doing this.

5.       Remember Past Details

Take any opportunity you can to add a comment that proves you have listened and remembered something from a past conversation. This makes people feel valued and proves that you really do pay attention.