In a world filled with distractions, it’s hard enough to listen when you’re relaxing with friends. But when a brilliant colleague reels off a series of important points, listening gets tougher.
When conversing with fast talkers who cover lots of relevant details in rapid-fire fashion, the stress of remembering it all can prove overwhelming. And if you keep fretting “I hope I don’t forget any of this,” it only gets worse.
“Your brain tends to retain feelings, not facts,” said Justin Hale, an author and trainer at Crucial Learning, a consulting firm in Provo, Utah. “Getting caught up in emotions can preclude you from focusing on the facts.”
Setting aside your emotions is a good start. Even better, harness all your mental energy to concentrate on what you hear in real time.