Communication is a two way street. One person talks and another listens. Unfortunately, for many of us our ability to talk outweighs our ability to listen.

It is estimated that people screen out or change the intended purpose of what they hear in over 70% of all communications. The biggest factor contributing to such miscommunication is our listening approach.

It has been shown that people listen with a preferred listening approach:

Appreciative
Listens in a relaxed manner, seeking enjoyment, entertainment, or inspiration.

Empathic
Listens without judging, is supportive of the speaker and learns from the experience of others.

Comprehensive
Listens to organize and make sense of information by understanding relationships among ideas.

Discerning
Listens to get complete information, understand the main message and determine important details.

Evaluative
Listens in order to make a decision based on information provided and may accept or reject message based on personal beliefs.

Most individual listen with more than one listening style. To be a good listener takes practice in becoming proficient in each style.