"it really isn't my job," "we tried that before, and it didn't work

they would not be offended if someone asked them to wait for ,fear that important information might be missed. Of course, if time cannot be changed, it is important that the parties be aware of the baniers present and make a special effort to concentrate on the listening process.
A manager's biases may also have a drastic effect on the outcome of the communication. A manager unaware of personal bias may become selective and hear only what he wants to hear. The person may deal only with preconceived notions and even debate with the speaker on points of disagreement. For example, a manager who believes that women are unreliable may disregard any infonnation indicating that a particular woman is reliable. The fIrst step needed to control this psychological banier of bias is awareness followed by recognition of the burden it places on the speaker-listener relationship.
Detouring, the psychological barrier that causes a listener to' become distracted by a mannerism, phrase, or concept, is closely related to bias. A listener's negative bias toward a mannerism can totally distract from the content of the message. For instance, a speaker may place her hands over her mouth while speaking, or continually play with a cigarette, or look away from the listener. Such mannerisms .can distract, and one needs to recognize them as just that-distractions: Mannerisms should not get in the way of messages.
Emotional words or phrases can also trigger listener bias. Such phrases as "typical accountant." "it really isn't my job," "we tried that before, and it didn't work," or "all engineers think alike" can lead to emotional responses. The Qanger in such phrases is that they cause a listener to hear different parts of a message. When a listener is