What are the 5 most common barriers to effective listening?

It happens to all of us. We scroll through our smartphones while somebody is speaking to us. Or sit hunched over a laptop watching a Netflix show, oblivious of a conversation going on around us.

All of us are guilty of being distracted and not listening often. We are surrounded by active listening barriers that prevent us from listening with focus and concentration. These barriers to effective listening can often lead to inaccurate assumptions and conclusions about what the speaker is saying.

Great listening skills in the workplace can make a big difference. The ability to listen actively without active listening barriers allows us to absorb information and understand it so we can use it effectively at work.

How can you overcome these listening barriers in your personal and professional life? You can use the EARor Empathy, Authenticity, and Respectof Listening framework from Harappas Listening Actively course. These three traits will help you become a better listener and overcome active listening barriers.

Barriers to effective listening

Lets looks at some major barriers to listening skills that you can work on:

1. Distraction or daydreaming

From a person walking by to email popping up on your computer screen, anything can be a listening barrier that distracts you. Paying attention becomes particularly difficult if you are a daydreamer. Moreover, multitasking is often one of the biggest barriers to active listening.

Making assumptions during any communication is one of the barriers to listening. Lets say your boss calls you into their office and has a stern look on their face. Your mind starts racing and you think youre going to get reprimanded for missing your deadline. If you begin justifying your actions without listening to what your boss is saying, you risk making an assumption. Other common assumptions may be hearing a few words and assuming you understand what a speaker is talking about.

1. Looking only through your lens

Have you ever watched a debate on TV? All the guests come with their points of view. And during the whole show, they put forward their points aggressively. Why? Because they are looking at the situation only through their lens, which can also be one of the barriers to listening skills.

Most of us fall prey to such situations, which prove to be barriers to effective listening. We dont look at where the other person is coming from but only look at things through our lens. This often leads to misunderstandings between people.

Comparison and memory are among the major listening barriers. Lets say youre watching a movie or listening to a colleague recount a project-related experience. However, your mind runs to a similar situation in the past and distracts you from listening and understanding the other persons perspective.

1. Making what the other person is saying about you

Its important to remember that when someone speaks to you, they are sharing their perspective. As a listener, it is your job to listen patiently and understand what the other person is trying to say. However, sometimes one can get very affected by the other persons speech and may consider it a personal attack or have strong opinions about it. Making what the other person is saying about you is a barrier to active listening.

Conclusion

Are any of these barriers stopping you from being an active listener? Remember, improving your listening skills is critical for success at work. The first step is to identify any unconscious habits that are barriers to effective listening and adopt good listening habits instead.

Make sure youre not distracted or multitasking when youre listening to someone. Put away your cellphones and laptops so you can focus on a discussion or a conversation.

And the next step would be to overcome barriers to active listening with guidance from industry experts. And how can you do that? Its simple. By signing up for Harappas Listening Actively course. Join the course now.

Explore topics such asActive Listening,How to Improve Listening Skills,Qualities of a Good Listener,Listening Process and thePrinciples of Effective Listening from our Harappa Diaries blog section to ace your soft skills.