Introduction: Effective listening is one of the most important parts of becoming a good speaker. Because if you can’t listen to others’ words, you will not be able to deliver your one. Again it becomes a must for explaining our thoughts through our speeches, and effective listening is a primary stage. There are often some common barriers to effective listening skills that cause serious damage in our spoken field. So, by this time, we will be talking about some common obstacles and their universal remedies.
What is a Barrier to listening?
Well, you may be confused with the word barrier to listening. A barrier to listening is mainly a thing that is hindering or obstructing you from understanding a message.
For example- Suppose your teacher is giving a speech on reproduction, but you aren’t getting what is this. That is, you are not getting the information accurately about reproduction. The reason behind this is you are not listening properly, and the thing for which you are not getting able to listen is a barrier. I hope you get it.
What are the five most common barriers to effective listening skills?
At the very first of our title, we have mentioned the word “Common.” Yes, some common problems happen to everyone. These disturb all in Effective listening. So, now we will be focusing on those five most common barriers.
1. Excess Information
The most faced problem, I think. In the case of listening, we often face this problem.
Suppose your teacher is talking about a topic and supplying much information. But you aren’t getting them. In this case, your barrier is excess information.
Again in a public speaking class, you need to listen to your fellows at least 20-25 speeches.
It’s become tough for you to listen to so many speeches at a time, and it becomes Information overload or excess.
2. Distractions
Distractions are the main barriers to effective listening. Why?
Because when you are listening, distractions may take you out from the track. Distractions are mainly the outside and inside. In case of outside, it can be the ringing of your doorbells or School bell. You can also be distracted by the outsider’s noise.
Again, in the case of inside, it is the tension or excess thinking about something. When you listen, anything you think a lot can come into your mind and distract you. That’s one of the barriers.
3. Prejudice
While listening, we sometimes become close-minded. We start to find some ways about How to criticize the Speaker. Often we ask some irrelevant questions which are not related to the topic.
Why? Can’t we be a bit patient? Is it really important to question him or her? No. absolutely not.
But what to do, it has become our common disease. Sometimes it also is seen that we are having a comparison between the Speaker and a famous person.
But Remember, it will obstruct you. Try to be a listener, not a criticize.
4. A bad physical State during the speech
If you are hungry, can you do the work properly? No, that’s what listening also requires. You need to be physically fit.
Suppose you are hungry. At that time, you will be thinking about foods. Thus a distraction will occur, which we have mentioned in our 2nd point.
Again, for becoming hungry, you will not be able to concentrate. As a result, your effective listening will be failed.
5. Impatience
Sometimes it becomes hard for any listener to be sitting down for 1 or 2 hours at stake. Again, it becomes harder if the Speaker speaks slowly.
At that time, it becomes a tough situation for all of the listeners of any conference. In this case, try to have some relaxation on your own.
These were the most common barriers to effective listening. But is it impossible to overcome them? No, it is possible. So, now we will be talking about overcoming the barriers to effective listening.
Overcoming common barriers to effective listening
1. Reduce Distractions
First of all, you need to reduce your outside distractions. Try to find out the distraction sources and keep them outside from your mind. For this, you can also make sure that you are seated properly to remain engaged.
2. Give priority to listening rather than speaking
It would be best if you remembered that you are not the Speaker here. You are the listener only. There is someone here to guide you, and that is the Speaker. So, please try to maintain it. You need to focused on listening.
3. Asking Questions
Sometimes you may feel bored after listening to a speech for 3 hours. What you need to do is “Ask questions.”
At that time, you will be focused on the topic, and for you, the Speaker will make it clear again.
As a result, asking questions will make the presentation a better one. Try to maintain it.
4. Listen to speech Carefully before you give any advice
You need to hear any speech carefully if you want to provide any advice to the Speaker. But don’t be in a hurry to give advice frequently. It will interrupt the whole session.
5. Practise reflecting instead of deflecting
Try to show that you are eager to hear from the Speaker. It would help if you showed him or her that you are listening. When you and your partners’ bond is quite strong, you will get some interest in attending. So try to practice it.
Conclusion: It would be best if you were a listener to becoming a better speaker. Because if you can’t get what an ideal listener wants to hear, you will be failed to reach the correct message.
So, it would help if you were a good one. Again you may face some problems. But no tension, you have the ways to recover it. Follow the steps and try to practice it. Thank you.
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