Barriers to Effective Listening

Jethro DatoRuby Joy Juan

Alpha GarciaFranchesca Asis

2BES2

Barriers

• Impact of Technology on Listening- Sensory Overload

• Ineffectiveness as a Listener

Distractions

Physical and Mental

• Physical- Hearing Impairment, Noisy

Environment or Loud Music• Mental

- Thinking about something else or Being Emotional

Biases and Prejudice

• Biases and Prejudice against an individual will invariably distort listening.

• This bias will distort incoming messages that contradict this assuption.

Lack of Approriate Focus

• There are many influences that can lead you astray.

• Anticipating how to respond prevents you from hearing the message in full.

Premature Judgement

• Assuming that you already know what the speaker is going to say

• Draw conclusions or judgements on incomplete evidences.

Considering the Topic or Speaker Uninteresting• The effort we put into listening

depends on our interest and the subject’s importance.

• A competent listener keeps an open mind.

Criticizing the Speaker Instead of the Message

• Speakers and listeners have responsibilities in the communication process.

• The listener must stay involved in the message.

Concentrating on Details, Not Main Ideas• Specific facts are needed in some

situations, but we focus too much on details.

• This results to receiving disjointed details.

Concentrating on Details, Not Main Ideas (cont)• All stages of the listening process

could be affected. • Focus on the main ideas.

Avoiding Difficult Listening Situations

• The vast amount and complexity of the information confront us.

• We deal with situations by giving up and ignorance.

Avoiding Difficult Listening Situations (cont)

• Concentration and energy are needed.• Ask questions.• Making the effort to listen is your responsibility.• Successful listening improves confidence and

ability.

Tolerating or Failing to Adjust to Distractions• Distractions constantly disrupt

concentration.• Unable to eliminate distractions • Failure to focus on the speaker’s

message

Tolerating or Failing to Adjust to Distractions (cont)

• Listener must overcome distractions through mental effort.

• Consciously focus on selecting the appropriate messages.

• Filter out extraneous noise and other distractions.

Faking Attention

• Pretending to pay attention• Appears to listen intently• Agreeing without understanding the

message

Faking Attention (cont)

• May become a habit• Can lead to misunderstanding• Do not let the mind to wander.• Pay attention.

Ineffective and Effective Listening Habits

Bad Listener Good Listener

Not interested on speaker and topic

Finds areas of interest

Focuses on speaker’s appearance

Concentrates on the content of presentation

Listens only for details Listens for ideas

Avoids difficult material Exercises the mind and prepares to listen

Easily distracted Resists distractions

Fakes attention Pays attention

What to Do About Listening Barriers

1. Physical Barriers

For the Listener:• Focus on the Speaker;

You can look at the room and the audience later.

For the Speaker:• Try-- whenever

possible--to remove potential distractions.

2. Mental Distractions

For the Listener:• Recognize that you can

think about you date later; get back to listening.

For the Speaker:• Make what you say

compelling and so relevant to the listener.

3. Close-mindedness

For the Listener:• Assume that what

the speaker is saying will be useful in some ways.

For the Speaker:• Anticipate close-

mindedness and ask for openness.

4. Biases and Prejudices

For the Listener:• Be willing to subject your

biases and prejudice to contradictory information.

For the Speaker:• When you feel that your

listener(s) may be biased, ask for a suspension of bias.

5. Rehearsing Responses

For the Listeners:• Make a mental note of

something and get back to listening.

For the Speakers:• When you feel that the

audience is preparing to argue with you, tell them you’ll return to this point later.

6. Dismissing the Speaker

For the Listeners:• Assume that everyone has

something of value to say to you

For the Speakers:• Stress the importance of

what you will say.

7. Focusing on Irrelevancies

For the Listeners:• When encountering an

example, recall the point, the main idea, that it refers to.

For the Speakers:• Repeat the main points and

connect them to your examples and illustrations.

8. Excessive self-focus

For the Listeners:• Think about how this topic

relates to others or some larger picture.

For the Speakers:• Include all the listeners;

make what you say relevant to everyone.

9. Faulty Assumptions

For the Listeners:• Let the speaker guide your

listening.

For the Speakers:• Make it clear that what

you’re saying will be unexpected.

10. Drawing too-early conclusions/judgements

For the Listeners:• Avoid making judgements

before you gather all the information; listen before judging.

For the Speakers:• Consider giving part of the

evidence before stating any idea to which you anticipate serious objection from listeners.

Reference:Seiler, W., & Beall, M. (2011). Communication: making

connections (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.