Listening Challenges

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Despite the tremendous benefits of listening well, we all fail to listen effectively at times. We may find ourselves unable to listen to material (or a speaker) that we find boring. We may have trouble focusing when we have a lot on our mind, are in a rush, or are coming down with a cold. In this section, we discuss listening barriers, factors that interfere with our ability to comprehend information and respond appropriately. We also offer advice for overcoming these barriers (Nichols, Brown, & Keller, 2006).