Explain listening style and the types of listeners. List the characteristics of each type of listeners that differentiates them from the other types.

What will be an ideal response?

Listening style is the favored and usually unconscious approach to listening. Each favors one of four listening styles. However, listeners may change listening style based on the situation and goals for interaction.
Content-oriented listeners focus on and evaluate the facts and evidence. They appreciate details and enjoy processing complex messages that may include a good deal of technical information. They are likely to ask questions to get even more information.
People-oriented listeners focus on the feelings their conversational partners may have about what they are saying. For example, they tend to notice whether their partners are pleased or upset and will encourage them to continue speaking based on nonverbal cues like head nods, eye contact, and smiles.
Action-oriented listeners focus on the ultimate point the speaker is trying to make. Action-oriented listeners tend to get frustrated when ideas are disorganized and when people ramble. They also often anticipate what the speaker is going to say and may even finish the speaker’s sentence.
Time-oriented listeners prefer brief and hurried conversations and often use nonverbal and verbal cues to signal that their partner needs to be more concise. They may tell others exactly how much time they have to listen, interrupt when feeling time pressures, regularly check the time on their smart phones, during a conversation, and may even nod their heads rapidly to encourage others to pick up the pace.