1.

Explain content and mindset in reference to barriers to listening

Presentations are a key-events in our lives, as a result of this we always need to be aware and
vigilant. A presentation is a gather of more than one person that is designed to share information.
The content of a presentation is the information that it includes as well as the way that it is arranged
and formatted. Whether a presentation is successful often depends on the mindset of the listener. A
mindset is defined by oxford dictionary as a set of attitudes held by someone. These attitudes will
then influence and create the barriers of listening that the audience will face. A barrier of listening
are physical or metaphysical objects, thoughts or feelings that prevent the listener from hearing the
message.

The barriers to listening are divided into 2 sections; internal and external barriers to listening.
Internal barriers are most often caused or brought on by the person and their mindset, whilst
external barriers are created by the surroundings and by the presenter. A few internal barriers of
listening include; boredom, mental laziness, sense of superiority, self-centeredness, cognitive
dissonance, impatience. Some external barriers to listening are bad physical setting, visual
distractions, and the distance to speaker.

The mindset of a listener as previously defined is the held attitudes and beliefs. A listener’s mindset
can create a number of barriers to listening. The first barrier often formed by a terrible mindset is
cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when the listener hears only what they expect to hear;
they shape the message to match their own beliefs. In order to hear a message, the audience needs
to participate in active listening, which requires approaching the presentation with an open mind
and absorbing what has been said. Molding a message to match a person’s beliefs requires that you
disregard parts of a message that doesn’t match those same beliefs, and as such you arrive at a
different destination that the one intended by the presenter.

The second barrier created from a terrible mindset is a sense of superiority. This barrier is different
from the first because it leads to the listeners not listening at all. The members of the audience that
are plagued by this barrier have no willingness to listen, and this is because the feel that they
already know what is being said; that they have nothing more to learn. This is a barrier to listening
because no part of the message is received, and rather it is because it never got to the receiver.

The third barrier that results from a terrible mindset is anxiety. Anxiety is defined as nervousness
that prevents a person from behaving in an optimal manner. This is a barrier to listening because
any audience member that feels anxious will be unable to fully attention to the presentation
because the majority of their focus will be directed inwards to try to deal with their inner strife and
discord. A crucial element of active listening is being present and mindful during the presentation,
an audience member having their focus directed inwards will prevent them from participating in
active listening. This will then lead to the message being only partly received because some parts
weren’t caught due to the split focus.

The content of a presentation is a crucial part of a presentation, and it must be prepared to suit
whichever audience is present. The content must also be simple, concise and attention grabbing. If it
lacks any of these qualities it runs the risk of causing a number of listening barriers. The first barrier
of listening is Self-centeredness and it can result from the content not being molded to suit the
audience. It has often been stated that you do not prepare a presentation for toddlers the same way
as you prepare a presentation for adults. Self-centeredness is when the audience focuses on their
own thoughts rather than the speaker’s words. The first thing most presenters are told to do is to
capture the attention of their audience. This is the case because it encourages the audience to stop
focusing on themselves and rather on the content, which allows them to be present and to receive
the message. Tailor made content coerces them into active listening and brings them out of their
shell by engaging and keeping them entertained whilst informing. The opposite of this would be if
the presenter’s content were bland and not suited to the audience. This would lead to the audience
looking at their phones and the message never being received.

The fifth barrier of listening, mental laziness is caused by the content being complicated or lacking
simplicity. Mental laziness is defined as an unwillingness to listen to detailed information. Every
presentation should always be split into small parts that are easy to digest for the audience. This
ensures that the content is engaging and it allows the listener to follow the presenter until the final
points are made. The message cannot be received effectively, if it cannot be understood. Mental
laziness can also be caused by an audience’s terrible attitude. The only thing that is demanded of an
audience is that they pay attention. If an audience member arrives with an attitude that isn’t
conducive to learning it can cause mental laziness, as they will be unable to keep up with the level of
information being provided.

Barriers to listening are problems that plague every presentation, and they can arise from many
different sources, but they can be conquered through the willingness of the audience to hear and
the presenter to accurately share information. A lot of the barriers mentioned above can be easily
solved by active listening, and an interesting presentation.