Listening errors in the communication process

Effective communication is the process in which the transmitter and receiver make a fluent exchange of information. In order for this to take place in an optimal way, it is necessary for each participant to the communication process to be able to listen to what his interlocutor has to convey.

Active listening skills are much discussed, but it is important that when we communicate we should avoid erroneous listening as much as possible. We noted below some of the most common barriers to listening, barriers that lead to poor communication and increase the risk of conflict.

1. Criticizing the person who sends the message
2. Premature reflection of what is heard, before the sender of the message completes what he has to say
3. Permission to intervene in negative stereotypes and prejudices
4. Searching for events that capture attention voluntarily
5. Listening while "sleeping with your eyes open", that false attention given in the process of communication
6. Tracking the errors of the person transmitting the information in order to be able to attack his speech

Unintentionally, we are robbed of one or more of the behaviors listed above when we are involved in communication processes, both in our personal and professional lives. Sometimes it happens that we ignore the messages coming from colleagues on a lower professional level than the one we have, precisely because, stereotypically, they do not have, for example, our training, or sometimes we only look for mistakes (grammatical, for example) in the presentation of a colleague that we perceive as being in a competition with us.

Awareness and avoidance of these listening errors will greatly improve communication with our colleagues and superiors, reduce the number of conflicts in which we are involved and will help increase the quality of the relationships we initiate in the workplace.