How do you handle distractions and interruptions when you are trying to listen actively?

Electronic distractions are difficult interruptions to ignore. If someone is speaking to me and I am not expecting an urgent call, I ask for a moment to put my phone in Do Not Disturb mode. This prevents phone calls, texts, and app notifications from pulling my attention away. If I have a laptop with me, I’ll close the cover for the same reason. Doing these things prevents beeps and light flashes from distracting me, and it also signals to the other person I am fully focused on them. If I am expecting an urgent call or text, I’ll tell the other person before I start active listening so they know it preceded our conversation. People are usually understanding of this if you give them a heads up so they don’t think you’re just being rude.

Silence your phone, turn off your smartwatch, and remove any other distractions that may deter your attention away from the conversation. Listening is not only courteous but also essential to be able to do to advance in the world. Without active listening skills, you won't be able to "get with the program" so to speak, and you'll always find yourself asking the same questions even though they already said what needed to be said. Some people, including myself, have a hearing Impairment, and that's fine, but people who are more capable of listening should do everything in their power to listen for survival reasons because it's not fair for others to have to repeat the same thing over and over again when they already explained it al least once

First, maintain eye contact with the speaker to demonstrate you are attentive and discourage interruptions from others. Directing your visual focus towards the speaker can help deter potential distractions and signal your commitment to listening. 2nd, listen with intention. Techniques such as nodding, paraphrasing, and asking relevant questions. These techniques can demonstrate your engagement and will also help you stay actively involved in the conversation, making it harder for distractions to pull you away. 3rd, Take notes. Jotting down key points of the conversation will help you concentrate and retain information. This practice helps minimize the impact of distractions as you have a reference to return to if your attention wavers.

My most frequent interruptions occur when I am on a phone call. If someone is standing in front of me and obviously needs something, I will give them a pad of paper and pen that I keep for this purpose, then use body language that mimics writing. That way, they can give me the message without me interrupting the other speaker. I can politely ask my caller to give me a moment to read the note. If it’s a question that requires only a yes or no answer, I can nod or shake my head. I can also write my answer to them telling them how much more time I will need. If their request is urgent, I can end my call and do what they need me to do. This allows the other person to be understood and not have to wait for me to finish my other conversation.

Step one for me is turning my phone upside down and turning off my monitor, both visual cues for the speaker that they have my attention. I agree re: learning forward and making eye contact. Nodding is more of an art than a skill, i.e., I want to show I hear what the speaker is saying v. agreeing with what is being said (I can think of one example where the speaker was going off the rails but needed assurance I was listening because they clearly needed to express themself!). Paraphrasing back helps ensure clarity.

You become better equipped to plow through distractions when listening by having a PLAN for active listening. Literally. Here’s a PLAN (acronym) for becoming a great listener, one who tunes in with empathy, and who won't be distracted: (P)ut yourself in their shoes, genuinely try to identify with their feelings. (L)aser focus listen, as if nothing else in the world mattered. (A)cknowledge vs. discount: Say “I see”, “Uh-huh”, “Tell me more”, “I see why you’re upset” vs. “It’s not so bad”, “It’ll be fine.” Paraphrase, play back what you sense they’re feeling, ask follow-up questions. (N)on-verbals matter. Mirror the speaker’s emotion and body language. Give signals that you’re listening, like nodding along and maintaining eye contact.

Active listening is all about managing your focus and filters. When distractions and interruptions occur, firstly, identify which of your five subconscious filters might be causing a hindrance: values, culture, language, attitude, or intention. It's important to recognize these filters and adjust your perspective to enhance comprehension. Secondly, improve your focus. Given the information overload in today's environment, it's easy to get distracted. Conscious practice to concentrate and minimize distractions, even amid noise, will train your mind to focus better, leading to improved active listening skills.

Sometimes people have a lot to say, and it’s difficult to hold on to fleeting thoughts that come up when listening. I’ve started taking notes during conversations so I don’t interrupt the speaker by reacting to what they say before they’ve had a chance to say everything that’s on their mind. If I don’t write down important points, I’m tempted to fall into the trap of waiting until it’s my turn to speak before I forget what I was going to say. Writing down general ideas allows me to give the other person time to answer their own questions, and for me to gain clarity on what they really want me to know. Plus, people know I am truly listening to them when they see me writing and then refer back to my notes when I respond to what they’ve said.