LISTENERS

• Types of Listeners

  • Eager Beaver
  • The Sleeper
  • The Tiger
  • The Shy & Bewildered
  • The Frowner
  • The Relaxed
  • The Busy Bee
  • The Two-eared Listener
• Eager beaver - keeps smiling and nodding as the speaker talks whether the message gets through to him or not. His eyes have strange, slightly out-of-focus appearance. His energies are directed toward trying to impress the speaker with what a good listener he is.
• The sleeper - seeks a restful haven in a relatively quiet part of the room. He has no intention of listening and quite irritated if there are out-of-the ordinary disturbances. His eyes closed as he sits-rather, as he half reclines in his seat. A blissful repose is reflected in his face.
• The tiger - is ready to pounce on everything the speaker says. He is occupied with looking for trouble and shows it in crouching position, leaning forward, eyes flashing, with the alertness of a big cat. He may silently “snarl” as he “hears” his first bone connection.
• The bewildered - has never found out what the discussion is all about. The pained, quizzical glances from this auditor are a constant reminder to the speaker that he must go slowly, repeating and reinforcing impotent information.
• The frowner - seems always on the verge of a question. Sometimes, his expression is an accurate reflection of his state of mind, but often , it could be a facade of attention.
• The relaxed - one seems to stay away, but he slips down his chair, rests his head on the back of it, and stares fixedly at some object or person. He never seems to react to anything that is said, either negatively or positively, and presents a real problem for the speaker
• One of the most resented listeners in any group is the - busy bee - who not only does not listen but impresses the fact on everyone by writing letters, “bussing” his neighbors, sneaking glances at a magazine, cleaning his fingernails, combing his hair, and so on.
• The two-eared listener - listens not only with his ears but also with his mind. He actively participates and reacts objectively to the message. He is eager and watches the speaker so that he gets the full benefit of the message.