There is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is the ability of our ear to perceive sounds but listening is about being attentive and picking up information. We live in an age where there are so many distractions and people have places to be and things to do. There is really no time for people to be present and listen to others. People spend time on their phone and in their mind when they should be fully attentive.
Research proves that people spend about 70% of their time communicating and listening which is a huge chunk of that time, yet it is the most overlooked.
There are so many dangers that come from ineffective listening at home, school, at work or in the environment. These include accidents, disappointments, poor performance, low productivity, wastage of time, poor relationships among other dangers. To avoid these problems, it is essential to look at what causes people not to listen effectively.
1. The speaker's inability to relay the information.
We have all attended a boring class or session and ‘zoned out’ because the speaker was not audible or interesting enough. Most times, people find themselves getting distracted when they cannot hear, understand or connect with the speaker. Listeners should ask question and find a way to get the information.
2. Internal and external distractions
It is very hard to pay attention to something when you have an internal dialogue going on. Sometimes, people hear what the speaker is saying but they are thinking about other things. External distractions include technology and friends talking to a listener. It is the responsibility of people to seek out distractions before they start listening to something. There is no need to act like you are listening to someone when the TV is on and your favorite show is playing. Do one thing at a time. There is no use in trying to listen to more than one conversation at a time.
3. The listeners interest or opinion in the subject matter
Your ability to listen depends on how interested you are in the subject matter. If a person is not interested in politics, they will find themselves looking for something to do when a political show comes on TV or when they are in a group of people talking about it. However, if it is something they are interested in, they will listen up and even give their opinion on it. Every human being has their interests. (2) Alternatively, if the listener is prejudiced or has already formed an opinion on the subject matter, they tend to shut themselves away from anyone who tries to change their mind.