Barriers to Effective Listening

Barriers to Effective Listening

1. FAKING ATTENTION

   • The person who is faking attention is just "hearing" but not "listening." There may be some eye contact and the person may even be nodding, but the mind is elsewhere. The person may be thinking about what to have for lunch or what to wear for the party that evening. Faking attention is a habit for some people, but it conveys lack of respect and dishonesty.

2. DISTRACTIONS

   • The four main types of distractions are physical, mental, auditory and visual

3. PREJUDICE

   • Prejudice is a preconceived opinion of feeling, which is usually irrational. Prejudice is very dangerous and has the potential to bring animosity into the team and to break team spirit. The reason for a prejudice may be the speaker's race, religion, age or appearance. A prejudiced person will not make any effort to listen and understand.

4. NOISE

   • Noise is any unwanted sound. It is a great impediment to clear communication. It is impossible to listen in a noisy environment – it becomes a frustrating experience for both the speaker and the listener.

5. INTERRUPTING

   • Interrupting a conversation with improper body language or inappropriate words will have a negative impact in effective communication. Here's some tips to help you avoid this barrier to effective listening:

6. FEAR

   • Fear is a great barrier to listening. People who are afraid during a conversation are not likely to listen. They become defensive and tend to argue.