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CHAPTER 9: LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION 267

strategic themes and understand how to influence others to achieve desired out-
comes. Listening helps create an open communication climate, because people are
willing to share their ideas, suggestions, and problems when they think someone
is listening and genuinely values what they have to say.
Listening involves the skill of grasping and interpreting a message’s genuine Listening
Listening
the skill of grasping and
meaning. Remember that message reception is a vital link in the communication the skill of grasping and
interpreting a message’ s genuine
interpreting a message’s genuine
process. However, many people do not listen effectively. They concentrate on for- meaning
meaning
mulating what they’re going to say next rather than on what is being said to them.
Our listening efficiency, as measured by the amount of material understood and

remembered by subjects 48 hours after listening to a 10-minute message, is, on
average, no better than 25 percent. 23
What constitutes good listening? Exhibit 9.4 gives 10 keys to effective listen-
ing and illustrates a number of ways to distinguish a bad listener from a good
one. A key to effective listening is focus. A good listener’s total attention is focused
on the message; he isn’t thinking about an unrelated problem in the purchasing
department, how much work is piled up on his desk, or what to have for lunch.

A good listener also listens actively, finds areas of interest, is flexible, works hard
at listening, and uses thought speed to mentally summarize, weigh, and
anticipate what the speaker says.
Evaluate your listening skills by answering
Effective listening is engaged listening. Good leaders ask lots Action Memo

of questions, force themselves to get out of their office and mingle the questions in Leader’s Self-Insight 9.2 on
with others, set up listening forums where people can say whatever
is on their minds, and provide feedback to let people know they page 268.
have been heard. 24

Exhibit 9.4 Ten Keys to Effective Listening

Keys Poor Listener Good Listener
1. Listen actively Is passive, laid back Asks questions;
paraphrases what is said
2. Find areas of interest Tunes out dry subjects Looks for opportunities,
new learning
3. Resist distractions Is easily distracted Fights distractions;
tolerates bad habits;
knows how to concentrate
4. Capitalize on the Tends to daydream with Challenges, anticipates,
fact that thought slow speakers summarizes; listens
is faster than speech between lines to tone
of voice
5. Be responsive Is minimally involved Nods; shows interest,
positive feedback
6. Judge content, Tunes out if delivery is Judges content; skips over
not delivery poor delivery errors
7. Hold one’s fire Has preconceptions; Does not judge until
argues comprehension is complete
8. Listen for ideas Listens for facts Listens to central themes
9. Work at listening No energy output; faked Works hard; exhibits active
attention body state, eye contact
10. Exercise one’s mind Resists difficult material in Uses heavier material as
favor of light, recreational exercise for the mind
material

Sources: Adapted from Sherman K. Okum, “How to Be a Better Listener,” Nation’s Business (August 1975),
p. 62; and Philip Morgan and Kent Baker, “Building a Professional Image: Improving Listening Behavior,”
Supervisory Management (November 1985), pp. 34–38.