There is more to listening than meets the ear.

To listen well, you need to be able to receive incoming messages without distortion.

• Stay healthy
• Get accommodations (e.g., hearing aids, glasses, notetakers) to listen better
• Practice listening to unfamiliar topics and speakers

To listen well, you need to be able to focus upon the message.

• Prepare yourself to attend to the message
• Focus upon the central ideas rather than the delivery
• You can attend to the content or to the relationship meaning of a message. You cannot attend to both simultaneously.

To listen well, you need to be able to comprehend the message.

• If you are unclear about the meaning of a word or nonverbal message, ask for clarification!
• Don't make assumptions without checking your perceptions and your understanding..
• Ask yourself to identify the thesis and major arguments.

To listen well, you need to be able to retain the message.

• Take some notes if this will assist you in remembering
• Review key points following a talk
• Use mnemonics and other memory devices.

- Listening for Pleasure
- Listening to Evaluate
- Listening to Empathize

Don't expect that your audience will listen for more than 20 minutes. As you know, television programming now moves very quickly with a number of breaks every few minutes.

According to communication expert Andrew Wolvin, the typical attention span for many in the US is now just 7-8 minutes.