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Listening. Although most of our time is spent listening, research shows that each person hears accurately what is said only one third of the time; the other two-thirds of the time the information is distorted. Greenberg emphasized five rules for active listening:
Communication Style. All individuals fall within four communication styles: action, process, people, and idea. Effective speakers know their personal communication style as well as their audience's. The most effective way to communicate is to recognize other people's styles and talk to them on their own level. For example, people with an "action" communication style will talk about results and objectives. They are down to earth, direct, and impatient. The table below summarizes the different communication styles and their associated "content" and "process" characteristics to recognize when speaking or listening to others.
In summary, session attendees received useful tools to become active listeners and effective communicators. The styles and characteristics in the table are guidelines for better communication skills. In fact, they are at the heart of developing better listening habits and communication skills that could last a lifetime.
Style |
Content (They
talk about: . . . ) |
Process (They
are: . . . ) |
Action | results, objectives, performance | down to earth, direct, impatient |
Process | facts, procedures, planning | factual, systemic, logical |
People | people, communication, feeling | spontaneous, warm, empathetic |
Idea | concepts, possibilities, issues | imaginative, unrealistic, full of ideas |
Originally published on October 1996