Public Speaking

1. Public Speaking Chapter 3: Better Listening Man’s inability to communicate is the result of his failure to listen effectively, skillfully, and with understanding to another person. Carl Rogers, Eminent Psychologist

2. Objectives • Upon completing this session, you will be able to: • Describe the nature and importance of effective listening • Overcome barriers to effective listening • Distinguish between internal and external sources of interference • Develop critical thinking and listening skills • Evaluate speeches for substance, structure & presentation skills • Execute your ethical responsibilities as a listener

3. Better Listening • Nature & importance of effective listening • Improves your ethos or, if lacking, hurt it. • A dynamic activity, not a passive one, that: • Seeks out the meaning intended in messages • Considers motivations (apparent and not) • Evaluates soundness of reasoning and supporting materials • Calculates values and risks of recommendations • Integrates it all into the world of the listener

4. Better Listening • Nature & importance of effective listening • Being “awake” as the Native American's say • Alert to the “sacredness” of one’s surroundings • Vital to successful communication • Note: Transmitter/Receiver model • Note: Active Listening functions • The talking stick

5. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening • Scaling invisible listening walls • The Chinese verb to listen has 4 key elements: • Undivided attention • Ears, Eyes, and Heart • Listening is more than hearing.

6. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase

7. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Focus on the message (pay attention) • Understand speaker’s verbal and nonverbal language • Interpret what you hear (and see) in light of your knowledge and experience • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase

8. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • In Discriminative Phase you: • Comprehensive Phase • Apply intellect to grasp the parts and the whole • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase

9. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • We suspend judgment • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase

10. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • We seek to value the form • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase

11. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • We analyze and evaluate content • Constructive Phase

12. Better Listening • The Ladder of Listening – 6 Phases • Discriminative Phase • Comprehensive Phase • Empathetic Phase (the heart) • Appreciate Phase • Critical Phase • Constructive Phase • We seek value in the content to apply to our lives • Constructive listeners add to the message • Ask questions to extend the meaning Dialogue is an event where meaning emerges through all the participants. (Stewart and Logan)

13. Better Listening • Benefits of Effective Listening • Benefits to the Listener • Emotionally and intellectually rewarding • Earn better grades and achieve • In work move up the ladder (See Monster Article) • Discover things in which you are or may be interested • Speaking and listening abilities are the two most important factors in helping graduates find jobs • Benefits to Speaker • Listeners provide great feedback and energy • Shows respect for them as people even if disagreed with

14. Better Listening • Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening • External sources of interference • Internal sources of interference

15. Better Listening • Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening • External sources of interference • Noisy uncomfortable environment • Intermittent or continuous? • Message problem • Jargon, bad form and organization • Speaker problem: Talks too slow, too fast, too low, has distracting habits • Internal sources of interference

16. Better Listening • Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening • External sources of interference • Internal sources of interference • Attitudes/cultural differences (pos/neg of speaker/topic) • Filtering, assimilation, contrast effect • Reaction to words (Trigger words e.g. girls, freedom) • Personal concerns (Tired, hungry, worried?) • Bad listening habits • Entertainment syndrome • Fear of failure/not being able to answer question • Listening only for facts vs. also what you see & manner delivered • 2 positives can never make a negative. Yeah, right.

17. Better Listening • Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening • External sources of interference • Internal sources of interference • Listener apprehension (RA, Receiver Apprehension) • Fear not able to process or adjust to the message • Control negative message you are giving self • Solutions • Picture self giving a response that helps both speakers and other listeners • Use relaxation techniques • Analyze barriers, negative thoughts

18. Better Listening • Developing Critical Thinking and Listening Skills • It is an integrated process that involves: • Questioning what you hear • Accepting nothing at face value • Developing your own position on issues by examining competing ideas • Being receptive to new thoughts and perspectives • Evaluating evidence and reasoning • Discussing with others the meaning of events • Listen to one of the speeches I assign

19. Better Listening • Critical Thinking Questions To Ask • Does the speaker: • Support claims with facts and figures? • Use relevant representative, reliable and recent supporting materials? • Cite credible sources? • Distinguish among facts, inferences & opinions? • (The echo chamber effect in journalism-Katrina Letter) • Use concrete/understandable language, or purposely vague language?

20. Better Listening • Critical Thinking Questions To Ask (cont.) • Does the speaker: • Ask you to ignore reason? (Demagoguery) • Rely too much on facts and figures? • Use plausible reasoning? • Promise too much? • Have a message that fits with what I already know? • What other perspectives might there be on this subject (cultural, demographic, etc.)?

21. Better Listening • Evaluation Speeches • You contribute to the effectiveness of a speaker and the speech by: • Effective listening (nods, gestures, attention) • The opportunity to give feedback after the speech • Giving a Critique Versus Being a Critic • Giving a Critique offers constructive evaluation • Being a critic focuses on what someone did wrong

22. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Adaptation • Purpose • Freshness • Ethics

23. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Did the speaker care deeply about the subject? • Did the speaker care about you as a listener? • Adaptation • Purpose • Freshness • Ethics

24. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Adaptation • Did it meet the assigned general purpose? • Informative, persuasive, ceremonial • Was it adapted to fit the listeners (audience)? • Did it involve the audience (gain identification?) • Purpose • Freshness • Ethics

25. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Adaptation • Purpose • Was the specific purpose clear. • Did it serve to enhance knowledge or move to action? • Freshness • Ethics

26. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Adaptation • Purpose • Freshness • Did it bring something new? • Is the Point of View unique, innovative? • Ethics

27. Better Listening • Overall Speech Evaluation Guidelines • How did the following apply to the speech? • Commitment • Adaptation • Purpose • Freshness • Ethics • Did the speech show a respect for the audience? • Did the speech deliver responsible knowledge? • Did the speech show a concern for the consequences of exposure to the message? (The power of words?)

28. Better Listening • Evaluating Substance • Speech of substance = • Worthwhile message supported by factual data and ideas • Important especially if information runs counter to what is generally believed. • Good speakers and speeches: • Combine several different types of supporting materials • Use examples, metaphors, and analogies • Have a carefully planned structure that is evident in: • Main points being covered in understandable way • Internal and final summaries used for clarification

29. Better Listening • Evaluating Presentation Skills • Presentation skills = • Words used and the way they are delivered • Simple and direct, easy-to-understand sentences • Concrete (denotative) words versus abstract or connotative words • My pet vs. my 8-week old black Labrador puppy • Extemporaneous presentation • Carefully prepared and presented but not memorized or read from script • Audible voice with varying tones and volumes • Use of gestures and variation in pace Ethical note:Listeners as well as speakers bear ethical responsibilities. Good listeners help develop good speakers. (Osborn/Osborn, 2004)

30. Summary • Having completed this session, you are be able to: • Describe the nature and importance of effective listening • Overcome barriers to effective listening • Distinguish between internal and external sources of interference • Develop critical thinking and listening skills • Evaluate speeches for substance, structure & presentation skills • Execute your ethical responsibilities as a listener