Listening is not the same as hearing, listening tends to be a developed skill while hearing is much more instinctive. Often when we think about a great friend we identify one of their strong points to be that of a great listener. We probably could cite their feedback and interactions, including allowing us to rant or vent as strong points to their listening skills. Workplace listening may have similar strengths but what we may not stop to realize are some of the barriers that prevent us from listening effectively.
While there are many barriers here are few that make the list:
- Noises that attract our attention (elsewhere)
- Room temperature too hot or too cold
- Voice volume or faulty sound system in training sessions
- Interruptions (phone calls, people moving about)
- Clock watching, time constraints, work overload
Listening tends to be a developed skill and by identifying external barriers we can help to improve the quality of any listening and feedback exchange. Most of the items cited above represent external distractions or barriers, what can you add to this list?
There are also barriers inside of our heads. We might think too much, what we should ask/say next, we might be sruck to think, what happened before we started to listen. Or if we disagree, what the other person said, we might get stuck to listen more our own thoughts than that other person.
ReplyDeleteAnd the greatest barrier of all is that we are not interested of what others have to say?
Katri
Good post. Check out http://LifesBigQuestion.com/resources/newsletters/ for a real world example of listening/hearing difference. - Dr. Bill DeMarco
ReplyDeleteSimiliar to what Katri said about what's going on in our heads, I would suggest that a big barrier is emotions. Feelings about the subject, preoccupation about personal issues, distraction because we are feeling nervous about what's coming next can all create barriers. I know a couple people in particular who completely stop listening if they don't agree with the initial statement. They just turn off. Emotions can really affect what you hear.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Our emotions, anxiety, and many other circumstances or situations can interfere with our ability to listen. It is not uncommon for someone who is "listening" to start to form their rebuttal and not hear important pieces of a conversation. I believe great listeners have practiced and developed their skills to the point that it becomes a good habit.
ReplyDelete