listener may suddenly find herself disagreeing with the speaker and begin to plan her
rebuttal. As she plans the rebuttal, she blocks out the listener and misses his message.
For instance, a manager listening to complaints from another department might prepare
a rebuttal as the other. person explains the incident. As a result, the manager creates a
defensive climate and misses the most important information.
Time, an important factor in every manager’s day, can also be a barrier to listening for
busy managers. “I just don’t have time to listen to this” is a common reaction for
managers at one time or another. The saying, “time passes quickly when you’re having
fun,” is really true; being involved in an interesting conversation can use more time than a
person realizes. However, time is relative and seems to drag on and on when people
have to listen to something in which they have no interest. When listening appears to
take too much time, managers tend to stop listening.
Hasty conclusion is one way some terminate listening. This time pressure may lead to
the tendency to judge, evaluate, approve, or disapproye a person’s statement too hastily.
To achieve real communication, resist me temptation to fOlm hasty cGmclusions.
Perhaps the greatest psychological barrier is lack. of willingness. A manager may not
want to listen. Before listening is even required, he may have lost any desire to listen. A
lack of willingness to listen is an attitude that
supersedes all other barriers-both physical and psychological.
Since we have already discussed motivation as a barrier to listening, we must
differentiate willingness from
motivation. These concepts are closely related, but for the purposes of this discussion,
assume that a lack of willingness develops before listening even begins. This is why it
supersedes all other barriers’. If a person consciously or unconsciously decides not to
listen, listening skills are obviousiy of no advantage.
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