One of the most important
abilities a person must possess is the ability to make himself understood by
others, and to understand in turn the ideas and meanings they attempt to convey
to him. This two‑way process is communication. If a person cannot communicate
effectively, the economy and efficiency of his work will suffer because this is
the way a person gets his job done. This is done through verbal instructions,
directives, interviewing, investigating, and counseling.
Nature of the Process of Communications
The most important method by
which people communicate or convey ideas to others is the spoken language which
involves listening and talking. In these, one person sends a message and another
or others receive it. It is a mistake, however, to take skills in communication
for granted; considerable efforts is required to obtain and use them
efficiently.
1. Listening
Listening is active work, not
an automatic response. A person must devote time and effort to develop
effective, efficient listening techniques. This is an extremely worthwhile
investment because poor listening can be costly in terms of fouled up
communications, loneliness, and low morale. Listening is an activity that takes
a major part of a person's time; it deserves more than casual attention.
(a) Listening Filters:
Attention ‑ An individual's listening
span is brief. It is extremely easy to become "mentally derailed" while
listening to someone only two feet away.
Understanding ‑ In a ten‑minute conversation
a person will hear between 500 and 1000 words. No matter how closely he listens,
some of these words are apt to have different meanings to him than to the
speaker.
Speed ‑ People think much faster
than they speak. Since the listener's thoughts are ahead of the speaker it is
easy to allow them to wander while waiting for the speaker to catch up.
Environment ‑ Physical factors can affect
listening as much as mental factors. Uncomfortable seats, noisy neighbors, poor
lighting, and disagreeable temperatures can make listening difficult.
Bias ‑ Many people do not listen
objectively. They tend to interpret what they hear in terms of their prejudices,
moods, and their attitudes toward the topic and speaker.
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