Have you ever been taught to listen?

Many of us are of opinion that ‘Listening’ is a natural process. Hearing may well be the natural process and it is one of the five senses endowed to humans.  Active Listening could be understood as listening for meaning.

I picked up an extract from the book of Keith Ferrazzi ‘WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK’ which I cherish.

The Four R’s of Listening

Much of successful sparring is really about listening. (Most people are better talkers than they are listeners.)  Dr. Mark Goulston, a hostage negotiator and author, describes the way we listen in four different ways, which he calls the Four R’s: removed, reactive, responsible and receptive.

• Removed listening is the kind of listening you do when you’re actually engaged in something else, like using your BlackBerry.

• Reactive listening is when you’re being somewhat more attentive.

• Responsible listening takes place when you not only react to what is said but reply with a further action or elaboration.

• Receptive listening is the deepest form of listening. This is the level of listening we all want to achieve in sparring.  ~