Practicing Active Listening
Exhibit A
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING
What I Do | Sample Barriers |
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Allow background noise to affect listening. |
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Allow daily events or interruptions to affect listening. |
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Have prejudice or negative attitudes toward the person speaking. |
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Don’t make enough eye contact (which should be made 80% of the time) with the person speaking. |
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Lack interest in what is being said. |
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Become defensive when the other person criticizes me. |
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Want to tell ‘my’ story before the other person is finished. |
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Interrupt the speaker before s/he is finished. |
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Respond emotionally to what is being said. |
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Let the speaker’s voice quality of speed influence me. |
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Let someone else distract me. |