Volume 1 Issue 2

Listen UP!

To listen, unbiased and without interrupting, can be challenging, and, at times, down right difficult. Attentive and balanced listening is not easy because it requires our willingness and focus to absorb the information; it's a conscious activity. Let's take a look at the barriers to balanced listening.

• Emotions
  The listening process is corrupted when we allow our emotions to get involved. For example, anger, defensiveness, and frustration are often felt when listening to someone we disagree with or simply dislike. We may not appreciate the way a person is speaking to us or we may not be in the mood to listen. When we allow our emotions to guide the listening process, the message is distorted and so will be our decisions and actions.
  
• Selective listening
  Selective listening occurs when we decide what to listen to. We choose tit-bits of information that we believe are relevant or important to the discussion and disregard the rest. A negative attitude or bias against someone is also a breeding ground for selective listening. We may not like or even respect the other person. We can also feel that he/she is not knowledgeable or intelligent enough to add to the information already gathered.
  
• Time
  Time is a precious commodity. As managers we have deadlines to meet and emergencies to deal with. We simply don't have the time to listen! Is it that we don't have the time to listen or is it that we don't take the time to listen?

Steps to remove barriers

The first step to removing barriers to effective listening is to understand the negative effects of our emotions, and refrain from allowing them to affect the way we listen. The second step is to force ourselves to listen to all the information provided. We must fight our natural tendency to choose only what we want to hear. Remember, there is no room for selective listening when our focus is to communicate effectively. The third and last step is to take the time to listen. Don't forget that listening is a conscious activity; we must WANT to listen.

T I P S:
On Removing Barriers to Listening

• Understand the negative effects of emotions.
• Refrain from allowing emotions to affect the listening process.
• Force ourselves to listen to all information provided.
• Take the time to listen.