Listening in Groups
Listening Preferences: No preference is the best. Our listening preferences as
group members are influenced by many factors, including the nature of the
relationships among group members and time constraints.
People-oriented listeners are focused on how their listening behaviors
affect relationships. These are members others go to when they want
someone to listen. They are attentive and appear nonjudgmental. They
use words such as “we” more often than “I”, and they incorporate
emotional appeals into their discussions.
Action-oriented listeners are focused on the job at hand. Actionoriented listeners help the group stay on task by paying attention to the
details and giving feedback about the goal and how the group may
achieve it.
Content-oriented listeners are drawn to the highly credible source and
enjoy analyzing the things she or he hears. These listeners dissect
information and can show a group the many sides to an issue.
Time-oriented listeners set meeting times, remind members of their
time constraints, and discourage wordy discussions. These members
value time and discourage discussion as the time nears for meetings to
end.
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From: Adams and Galanes, Communicating in Groups, 5 edition. The University Speaking Center,
speakingcenter.uncg.edu, 256-1346