BusinessHABWhat is counselling?: counselling is a talking therapy that allows people to discuss their problems with trained professionals in a peaceful and safe ambiance. The exact meaning of counselling might vary among individuals. But in general, it is the process where you talk about your issues in detail either intending to overcome the same or to explore your thoughts comprehensively.
What is Listening?
Listening is a procedure that includes currently hearing what the other individual is saying and taking care of that correspondence. Listening is the means by which we get the verbal part of a person’s message.
Listening is very not quite the same as hearing since hearing is just the demonstration of perceiving sound by the ear. On the off chance that you are not hearing-disabled, hearing essentially happens. Listening, be that as it may, is something you deliberately do. Listening requires focus with the goal that your mind forms significance from words and sentences. Listening prompts learning.
Factors which inhibit effective listening in counselling
1. Physical barriers in communication:
Physical barriers can be anything that blocks the ability to hear what is being said. This can include noise, obstructions, and distance. External noise can be anything from a construction site next door to people talking loudly in the office or the sound of traffic outside of your window.
Physical obstructions can be people standing before you at a networking event or someone sitting between you and the person speaking at a meeting. In this case, your ability to listen effectively will also be hindered.
Distance can also be a barrier if you are not sitting close enough to the person speaking or if you have a poor connection when talking on the phone. The further away people are from one another when they talk, the more difficult it can be to hear them clearly.
Listening skills in counselling
2. Emotional barriers:
Emotional barriers are emotional factors that get in the way of effective listening. These include both positive and negative emotions, such as being excited, angry, upset, or distracted. It’s difficult to focus on something else when emotions come in the way of concentration.
For example, if you’re upset about something that happened earlier in the day, it will be challenging to focus on what the person in front of you is saying. If you’re angry with someone, you’re less likely to be very receptive to things they have to say. And if you’re distracted by something exciting going on in your life, you won’t be able to focus on the speaker very well.
3. Psychological barriers to effective listening:
Psychological barriers are similar to emotional barriers, but they are based on our thoughts rather than feelings. Sometimes, we tend to assume we know what the other person is going to say, think about what we’re going to say next, or judge the person we’re listening to.
For example, if you are talking to someone and start thinking about replying, you will be less effective at listening to what that person is saying. Instead, you’ll be focused on formulating your response. This lack of focus can lead to misunderstandings and poor communication.
Listening skills in counselling
4. Cultural barriers:
Cultural barriers can be seen in both social and business contexts. These could be caused by differences in ethnicity, religion, traditions, or social status. Business cultural barriers arise when there is a difference in how business is done in different parts of the world. This can be because of different laws, customs, or social norms.
For example, in many parts of Europe, it is common to shake hands when greeting someone for the first time or even kiss on the cheek, but in certain places, it is not appropriate to touch a person of another gender that you have just met. This can lead to discomfort and misunderstanding if you are not aware of the cultural differences between you and the person you are talking to.
5. Language Barriers:
In our global society, a language barrier is probably one of the most common obstacles to effective listening. It can exist when there is a language difference between the two individuals talking or when one person has a poor understanding of the spoken language.
It is important to note that a language barrier does not have to be an issue of nationality or ethnicity. It could simply be a difference in dialect.
For example, someone from the south of England may not understand someone from the north of England because they speak with a different accent or even use other expressions.
Listening skills in counselling
6. Time Pressure:
This barrier is based on the idea that people feel they do not have enough time to listen. Time pressure can come from a number of different places, including from within oneself or from an external source.
For example, if you are running late for a meeting, you will probably be less inclined to spend time listening to everyone’s ideas than if you had more time available.
Alternatively, if you feel impatient because the person speaking is taking too long, you might feel unable to focus on what they are saying.
Because of this, it could be hard to focus on what the other person is saying, and you may stop listening and start preparing your excuse for leaving.
Listening skills in counselling
7. Pace of speech:
The speed of speech can often be a barrier to effective listening. When someone speaks too quickly, it can be difficult to keep up and understand everything they are saying.
In some cases, the person speaking fast might be doing so because they are nervous or do not think their listener is interested in what they have to say. Or, sometimes, they are just naturally a fast speaker.
If you feel overwhelmed by someone’s fast speech, it can be hard to process what they’re saying. This can lead to a lack of understanding and poor communication.
8. Tone of voice:
The tone of voice can also be a barrier to effective listening. When someone is speaking in a monotone voice, it’s difficult to focus on their message. Or, if their tone is angry and loud, it can cause the listener to react emotionally instead of focusing on what the speaker has to say.
Listening skills in counselling
9. Interruptions:
Interruptions can come from either side of the conversation, and they can be physical or verbal. A physical interruption might be someone grabbing your arm to get your attention while you are talking or people trying to talk over each other.
Verbal interruptions come in the form of questions and statements. Overlaps happen when both people try to speak simultaneously, and neither will give up their turn to hear what the other has to say. As a result, the message gets lost, and the conversation becomes ineffective.
10. Information overload:
When there is too much information coming at someone, it can be challenging to focus on one thing. This often happens in business meetings when people are presenting either new or complex information. It can also occur during conversations when the person you are talking to gives you too much information at once. In either case, the listener will not focus on what is being said and will probably miss important details.
An example of information overload can be found in a business meeting. Imagine you are in a meeting where the speaker presents information that does not seem relevant to your job or tasks. This can cause you to become distracted and lose focus. As a result, you will miss important details that could affect your work performance.
Listening skills in counselling
11. Bias:
Bias includes prejudice or assumptions about others based only on their appearance, gender, race, religion, and other factors. When we are biased toward someone else, we expect them to act in a certain way based on our assumptions, resulting in poor listening.
For instance, in a multicultural workplace, you often have a group of people who come from different backgrounds and have different physical characteristics or life experiences.
When you are in this situation, it may be easy for you to make assumptions about the people you are working with despite never actually getting to know them. This can prevent you from listening to them effectively because you are not giving them a chance to show you who they are.
These 11 barriers to effective listening can help us improve our communication skills and relationships at home and at work. By being aware of these obstacles, we can overcome them and improve our ability to listen effectively.
Listening skills in counselling
12. Lack of interest
Often times, we get ourselves caught in a conversation that essentially does not hold our interest. In such cases, we’ll be tempted to float off in our own contemplations or concentrate on something unique — which, shockingly, can be an obstruction to listening.
As an example, I usually lost interest when someone discuss football with me because I don’t have interest in it. I tend to inform the speaker about my lack of interest in the topic before he goes too far.
Of course, it’s not by any means a good idea to drive your consideration on a topic you find horribly boring. In the event that the discourse isn’t vital, steer the discussion to an alternate heading. In the event that it is essential, in any case, attempt to concentrate on the important focuses and note them down.
13. Noise, Awkward seating positions and temperature
Ecological factors, for example, noise, temperature and awkward seating positions can make us concentrate our attention on other factors alongside what the speaker is saying.
Attempt to control environmental factors at whatever points conceivable. Take a stab at finding a calm at another seat or move to a quiet place to proceed with the discussion. It is really hard to center concentration when we are always occupied by outside powers.
Listening skills in counselling
14. Distractions
The most evident and presumably the most significant barriers to listening this day and age are different distractions. Tragically, a large number of us can’t be part of a discussion without continually looking at our phone or PC. In addition to the fact that it is viewed as discourteous, yet it additionally tells the other individual that you’re exhausted and whatever is on your telephone is more critical to you than this discussion.
As you’re distracted, you’re additionally liable to miss critical points or information that you may require later on. When you’re having a discussion with somebody, it’s best to keep these distractions away and concentrate on the individual before you.
15. Personal bias
Personal bias can cloud your judgment and influence you to deliberately ignore towards significant information or great individuals. When you live and work in a multicultural domain, it’s essential to abandon every one of your biases when you’re speaking with others.
For instance, on the off chance that you accept a person as unintelligent (or even less astute than you) as a result of his educational background, you’re blinding yourself. You have to give everybody the advantage of uncertainty and listen to what they have to say.
Listening skills in counselling
16. Intrusion
The fact that no good thing originates from interfering with somebody while they’re talking is one of those cardinal tenets of communication we’re all taught as kids. Sadly, that lesson doesn’t tend to stick. Individuals are so anxious to be heard that occasionally they intrude on discussions to express their own supposition.
Be that as it may, in addition to the fact that it is viewed as inconsiderate, but on the other hand, it’s one of the greatest barriers to effective listening. To refrain from committing this mistake, attempt to hold up until the point when the other individual has completed the process of talking before saying your own thoughts so anyone can hear.
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