The document discusses various barriers to effective listening and provides recommendations to overcome them. Some key barriers include physical and mental distractions, biases and prejudices, focusing on irrelevant details rather than main ideas, and drawing premature conclusions. To address these barriers, the document recommends that listeners focus on the speaker, resist distractions, assume an open mindset, and avoid judging before gathering all information. It also provides tips for speakers, such as removing potential distractions, making the message compelling, and considering listeners' potential biases or objections.
4. Physical and Mental
• Physical
- Hearing Impairment, Noisy Environment
or Loud Music
• Mental
- Thinking about something else or Being
Emotional
5. Biases and Prejudice
• Biases and Prejudice against an individual will
invariably distort listening.
• This bias will distort incoming messages that
contradict this assuption.
6. 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.
7. Premature Judgement
• Assuming that you already know what the
speaker is going to say
• Draw conclusions or judgements on
incomplete evidences.
8. 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.
9. Criticizing the Speaker
Instead of the Message
• Speakers and listeners have responsibilities in
the communication process.
• The listener must stay involved in the
message.
10. 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.
11. Concentrating on Details,
Not Main Ideas (cont)
• All stages of the listening process
could be affected.
• Focus on the main ideas.
12. Avoiding Difficult
Listening Situations
• The vast amount and complexity of the
information confront us.
• We deal with situations by giving up and
ignorance.
13. 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.
14. Tolerating or Failing to
Adjust to Distractions
• Distractions constantly disrupt
concentration.
• Unable to eliminate distractions
• Failure to focus on the speaker’s
message
15. 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.
16. Faking Attention
• Pretending to pay attention
• Appears to listen intently
• Agreeing without understanding the
message
17. Faking Attention (cont)
• May become a habit
• Can lead to misunderstanding
• Do not let the mind to wander.
• Pay attention.
18. Ineffective and Effective Listening Habits
Bad Listener Good Listener
Not interested on speaker Finds areas of interest
and topic
Focuses on speaker’s Concentrates on the
appearance 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