There is the attitude of making listening an active part of the total communicating process, which Dr. Steil terms “the 51% minimum responsibility,” or taking the responsibility for at least 51 percent of the total communication process. To be this kind of active listener you must find areas of interest in any subject the speaker introduces, judge the content of the message rather than the delivery, listen for ideas rather than facts, put energy in your attention to the speaker, resist distractions, keep your mind open and flexible during the listening period, and be responsive in whatever form — that is, give the listener the feeling that you are enjoying or are interested in what he is saying.
