ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 emphasizes the value of listening and the importance of identifying personal benefits to increase motivation. Listening both helps to accomplish tasks and to strengthen relationships. The HURIER model of listening serves as the organizing framework for the text. It is based on six interrelated skill clusters that provide a framework for understanding theory and improving performance: hearing, understanding, remembering, interpreting, evaluating, and responding. Each component is described, and its applications reviewed.
Emphasis is then placed on the importance of several closely related topics: listening to self, mindfulness, journaling, self-monitoring, and feedback. All are essential to improving communication and developing listening effectiveness. A listening self-assessment, based on the HURIER model, is a key feature of the book. This assessment enables students to better understand their listening strengths and developmental goals. Each component is then addressed in subsequent chapters, with extensive skill building exercises provided. Self-assessment questions are repeated in each chapter as a post-test to determine student progress and direct their efforts toward improving listening effectiveness.
