Once you‘ve received, understood, and have the message in memory, you need to evaluate it. After all, not all messages are equal—some are lies, some are truths; some are significant, some are trivial; some are constructive, some are destructive. In evaluating messages consider these suggestions.
- Resist evaluation until you fully understand the speaker‘s point of view. This is not always easy, but it‘s always essential. If you put a label on what the speaker is saying (such a conservative speaker), you‘ll hear the remainder of the messages through these labels
- Distinguish facts from opinions and personal interpretations by the speaker
- Identify any biases, self-interests, or prejudices that may lead the speaker to slant unfairly what is said. It‘s often wise to ask if the material is being presented fairly or if this person is slanting it in some way.