There are a lot of barriers to effective listening. Some of the things that seem normal to you might actually be a factor(s) as to why you can't seem to listen properly.
But once you gain awareness, you can easily get rid of these barriers to effective listening. See how you can take better instruction, remember more details and generally be a better listener through these tips:
1) Drown Out The Noise.
Anyone who has been given the gift of hearing has the potential to become a good listener. Unfortunately, not all of these people actually work on their potential. They take their listening ability for granted and are surprised when they realize that they have heard wrong or that they have missed something important.
This is due to one of the barriers to effective listening, which is noise. Noise can literally refer to loud and distracting sounds in the background. After all, it would be difficult to listen carefully when there are cars honking in every direction.
But another noise, and one that presents a bigger problem, is noise in our own heads. Noise, in this case, means loud and distracting thoughts. If you can't focus on the listener, you'll never be able to listen effectively.
2) Don't Rush With Your Own Opinions.
Opinions are a good thing. They represent options, diversity and independent thought. However, opinions can also be one of the barriers to effective listening. How?
Say, a friend is recounting the story of how they got robbed yesterday. As the words drone on, you suddenly find yourself thinking that they should have done this or that instead.
Your friend has not yet even reached the climax of the story and you're already staging your own private conversation inside your head. When you let your own opinions dominate you, you tend to miss out on the other important details your friend might be sharing.
3) Set The Right Environment.
One of the overlooked barriers to effective listening is the environment. There are so many factors that affect the way sound travels and these sounds are received.
If the room or the auditorium is not built for speeches or public forum, you might have a problem with echoes. If the room is too cold, the people might fall asleep. If the room is too decorated, the audience might become distracted.
Take all of these factors into consideration before planning any event. If you're a member of the audience, try sitting in the front where you can have eye contact with the speaker.
Barriers to effective listening are not something you can't handle. As long as you know where the problem lies, you'll have no trouble fixing the situation.
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