Exercise 1 Goal: This activity is designed to help students explore one of the barriers to effective
listening and understand how that barrier can affect relationships in the workplace and in their personal lives. Instructions: Your task is to go to the Berrett-Koehler Think Tank
website <www.bkpub.com/thinktank/story16.html>
and read the article entitled "The Gospel of Diversity" by Barbara Hateley. Her claim is that part of
the reason we fail to understand diversity is that we listen to and digest messages about different cultures that are
based on faulty assumptions. After you have read the article be prepared to discuss the following questions: a) Is she correct in her assessment that we do in fact listen to messages that are based on faulty assumptions?
Based on your experience what problems does this cause? b) What can you do to listen more effectively to messages about diversity? Exercise 2 Goal: This activity is designed to provide students with more information about the importance of
listening as it relates to success in their careers. It is also useful to help them recognize their own barriers
to listening and what they can do to change them. Instructions: Go to the following webpage
<www.nku.edu/~jonesro/rdlisten.htm> and
read the article by Jean Parvin entitled "Listen Up and Get Ahead." After you have read the article
answer the following questions: a) In what ways do you think this advice is valuable to the company at which you currently work? b) Which of these areas do you think you need the most work on personally? Why? | 
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education