POOR LISTENERS

Another phrase that I’m sure we’ve all heard before is, “You’re not a very good listener”. Don’t feel too disappointed! If it helps, you can take comfort in the fact that research suggests that most of us are poor listeners. Experts even claim that we only listen at 25% efficiency! So, what does this really mean? Well, look at it this way, it means that we forget, ignore, distort or misunderstand 75% of everything we hear.

Why is this so you may ask? The following is a list of factors that contribute to poor listening habits which make us inefficient listeners.

1. We lack training.
 In school, we are all taught courses in order to develop our reading, speaking and writing skills. However, few schools put much effort in developing listening skills in comparison to the aforementioned.

2. Competing sounds.
It’s a bustling world out there. There are so many different sounds and stimuli that hinder our ability to concentrate.

3. Speed of speech.
As mentioned in my earlier entries, we are able to process speech much faster that others can speak. Therefore during the lag time, we are usually prone to daydreaming or “zoning out” which reduces listening efficiency.

4. Bias or Prejudice.
Sometimes, we just don’t want to listen. We’ve all heard the saying “Mind over matter”. Well, that’s just it, if you don’t try to concentrate when someone is listening, then for sure you’re really not listening.

5. Language differences or accents. (Will be addressed in a future post)

6. Lack of attention span.

These are just a couple of factors that lead to less than perfect listening skills. Until next time, listen with intent- it’s one of your keys to success!