Barriers and Strategies to Effective Listening and Speaking
One common barrier to effective listening that I often display is the tendency to mentally prepare my response while the other person is speaking. This barrier is known as rehearsing in the context of listening. Rather than fully engaging with the speaker’s words, I often catch myself formulating my reply or thinking about what I want to say next. This hinders my ability to be a good listener because I’m not fully present in the conversation. An example of this barrier in action is when a friend shared a personal problem with me. Instead of giving them my full attention, I was already thinking about advice and solutions, which made them feel unheard.
One strategy for effective listening that I found in the provided resources is the practice of active listening. Active listening involves not just hearing the words but also showing that you are engaged and interested in what the speaker is saying. This strategy is essential because it fosters a deeper connection with the speaker and ensures that their message is fully understood (Schilling, 2012). To begin developing this new listening strategy, I can actively remind myself to maintain eye contact, nod in agreement or understanding, and provide verbal cues like “I see what you mean” or “Tell me more” to demonstrate my engagement in the conversation.
Understanding one’s audience better is not only vital for effective listening but also for becoming an effective speaker. When one understands their audience, they can tailor their message to their needs, interests, and preferences. For instance, if one is aware that their audience prefers data and statistics, they can provide more quantitative information in their speech. Conversely, if one knows the audience appreciates real-life anecdotes, one can include relevant stories to make the speech more engaging (Anovick, 2014). By understanding the audience’s background, expectations, and communication style, one can adjust the content and delivery to resonate with them, making one, as the speaker, more effective and persuasive.
In conclusion, recognizing and addressing barriers to listening, like rehearsing and implementing strategies such as active listening, can significantly improve one’s listening skills. Understanding the audience, whether in a listening or speaking context, is crucial for effective communication. By actively working on these aspects, individuals can enhance their ability to connect with others and convey their messages more successfully.
References
Anovick, P. (2014, August 5). Six strategies for effective listening. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140805121004-5815444-six-strategies-for-effective-listening
Schilling, D. (2012, November 9). 10 steps to effective listening. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/?sh=12f1dae93891
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Question 
Imagine the following scenario:
You come home from an eventful day at work, ready to share all of the details. Searching the house for anyone who is available to listen, you find a family member engaged in some other activity. You immediately begin sharing all that happened to you, and your captive audience never once looks up to their task or gives any indication that they are following your story. Finally, you stop and ask, “Are you listening?” Only then does your captive audience look up and say, “I heard you.”
Barriers and Strategies to Effective Listening and Speaking
If you have ever been in this situation, you likely know that “hearing” isn’t the same as “listening.” Despite this knowledge, everyone has probably been on both sides of this scenario. What does it take for people to actually listen to each other rather than just hear each other?
In this week’s Discussion, you examine your own listening skills and the potential barriers to listening that you might display. You also explore strategies for becoming a better listener.
Post at least two paragraphs responding to the following:
Identify a barrier to listening that you commonly display, explain what that barrier is, and give an example of a time it kept you from being a good listener.
Identify a strategy for effective listening that you discovered in this week’s Resources that you would want to implement in your life, explain what that strategy is, why you find it important, and the one thing you can do today to begin developing this new listening strategy.
Explain how understanding your audience better can help you become an effective speaker. Remember to refer to the Resources to support your response.
Resources:
Indiana State University Press Sites. (n.d.). 5.5: Stages of listeningLinks to an external site.. In Department of Communication, Indiana State University (Eds.). Introduction to public communication. http://kell.indstate.edu/public-comm-intro/chapter/5-5-stages-of-listening/
Schilling, D. (2012, November 9). 10 steps to effective listeningLinks to an external site.. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/?sh=12f1dae93891
Anovick, P. (2014, August 5). Six strategies for effective listeningLinks to an external site.. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140805121004-5815444-six-strategies-for-effective-listening
Social Science LibreTexts. (2020, September 24). Social science 3.1: Communication and perceptionLinks to an external site. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Courses/College_of_the_Canyons/COMS_100%3A_Process_of_Communication_(Stokes-Rice)/3%3A_Perceiving_and_Understanding/3.1%3A_Communication_and_Perception
Walden Writing Center. (2021). Undergraduate courses: Undergraduate paper with adviceLinks to an external site. (APA 7). https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general
COMMpadres Media. (2016, November 3). Audience analysisLinks to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfue7l-WuJ4
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.
Please note that a transcript of this video is available by clicking on the “Open Transcript” option under the ellipsis drop-down beneath the video on the right.
TEDx Talks. (2018, February 16). Julie Hogan: The tale of two robesLinks to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Z3jdubP4Y