Lack of or low concentration, alertness to relatable topics and less attention paid to new ideas, is very harmful to active listening. This is an end result of different situations, including mental alertness to the visual being displayed and the quality of the audio from the speaker, personal reasons broken down to interest, the listener’s comfort and stress levels ( Battell, 2006). Barriers to active listening that I experience include; Wandering mind and visual distractions sucking up the little attention, ruminating over emotions experienced before. Prejudice to the topic at hand and/or the speaker done consciously and unconsciously ( Battell, 2006) . Physical issues that are negative to listening including hunger, room temperature either too hot or too cold, fatigue and sitting position.
An excellent method of active listening is empathetic listening where the listener pays close attention to the speaker with feelings and emotions ( Mamlok, 2017 ). Empathic listening is however very hard to master, the listener makes the decision to allow the speaker to dominate the conversation topic, asking questions related to the topic welcoming more from the speaker and remaining attentive all through the talk ( Mamlok, 2017 ). The willingness to be an empathetic listener includes; being patient with the speaker allowing the speaker to consolidate his or her emotions and articulate them. Relaxed body language and occasion eye contact to the speaker, use of open-ended questions for the speaker to decide the direction of the conversation.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
To achieve active listening intentional effort to the speaker’s topic is fundamental and separating the key points. Good listeners make quick judgments that justify being attentive with the right attitude paying attention to the speaker’s ideologies ( Mamlok, 2017 ). Lastly, flexibility in receiving what is being said. Good listening over time develops patience establishing productive communication. Mastering these listening skills ensures profits from every conversation even those deemed dull.
References
Battell, C. (2006). Effective Listening . American Society for Training and Development.
Mamlok, D. (2017). Active Listening, Music Education, and Society. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education . DOI:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.186
