Listening may seem simple. You may not consider it to be a powerful tool. However, more and more business leaders and entrepreneurs are taking it on as a serious skill and are reaping the rewards. The directed act of listening will enrich your workplace relationships, improve group productivity, and even boost your own mood. While it’s inevitable for conflict to arise from communication, you can turn misunderstandings into positive action with ‘active listening’. ‘Active listening’ is the key to getting the most out of a conversation, and has numerous personal and interpersonal benefits. While studies show that most people believe that they have above-average listening skills, the average person listens with only about 25% efficiency. Listening is a misunderstood skill, and one in which you probably have great potential for growth. ‘Actively listening’ can be defined as giving your complete, intentional focus to what someone says, rather than what their words literally mean. Peter Drucker, the highly successful management consultant and author, once said that “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” Deepening Relationships A study conducted by York University psychologist Faye Doell in 2003 found those who “listen to understand” have better, happier relationships with others. If you are the person at the workplace who gives others the space to communicate fully and openly, co-workers and employees will be more likely to come to you with new ideas and include you in collaborative projects. Tip: Resist the urge to think about what to say next. You’ll draw better conclusions after the other person has finished speaking. It takes time to truly understand someone’s meaning — what’s behind the words. Those who you work with will take notice, and you’ll soon have their sincere and valuable trust. Improving Productivity In the words of Lee Iacocca, former president and CEO of Chrysler Corporation,“Business people need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions.” ‘Active Listening’ is a key component of workplace productivity on several levels. Employers who fail to truly listen to their employees run the risk of losing them. Workers who don’t feel listened to are more likely to feel resentment at their job and seek other opportunities. A company that has outlets for employees to express themselves openly will be one with a greater employee retention rate. ‘Active listening’ improves the rate of workplace performance. When workers feel comfortable voicing ideas and opinions, the best ideas are free to gain traction with the group. The positivity of an environment that values listening works wonders for productivity in and of itself. Workers will feel more energized, focused, and less prone to distraction when they are participants in ‘active listening’. Also important — fewer misunderstandings means less “do-over” work. TIP: Watch for non-verbal cues — body language and tone of voice. The speaker might have mixed emotions when saying something that, if written, would sound unambiguous. This might manifest in their eye movement, hand movements, or changes of tone. Self-Empowerment ‘Active Listening has a myriad of personal benefits. It reduces stress, as you let go of your personal agenda and worries when you truly listen. Allow yourself to be completely caught up in what the other is saying. It also builds confidence. If you can patiently expand your perspective by taking in the thoughts and feelings of others, you become more secure in your own values and self of self. That confidence creates a positive feedback loop, as the speaker becomes more and more open in expressing themselves. Tip: Encourage the speaker — make good eye contact, avoid any engaging in other activities at the time, ask questions that call for more detail. Summary Just a few simple tips will quickly start you on the path to ‘active listening’ and all the benefits it has to offer. Remember to allow others to finish their thoughts before starting [or even collecting] your own; notice non-verbal clues, whether they are tone of voice or body language; and encourage the speaker, through positive questions, eye contact, and focus. Practice these tips at your workplace and notice any changes that take place. Pretty soon, you’ll be receiving more of value from those around you, simply because you were open to it.
Types of communication you should be using Communicating with others encompasses much more than just conversation. There are a variety of forms of communication...
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Listening is a core communication skill. It’s fundamental for effective leadership.
Leadership listening will be an increasingly important skill in the future. Organizations will place greater importance on employee experience.
In the rapidly approaching post-COVID world, active listening, empathy, and emotional intelligence will gain greater importance as employees and leaders continue to deal with the fallout.
Let’s take a look at what makes a great listener, why good listening skills matter in the digital age, and how to become better at listening as a leader.
The importance of listening as a leader
The importance of listening in leadership is crucial for team performance.
A leader who is authoritarian and judgmental may cause their employees to be afraid of them and unwilling to communicate. This can lead to team dysfunction and poor productivity.
So why are listening skills important? Here are five other ways that listening skills make you a more effective leader:
1. Listening increases your capacity as a leader
We can always learn from those around us, including our direct reports. Effective listening gives you knowledge and perspectives that increase your leadership capacity.
Being open to feedback and new ideas from your team helps you learn and grow as a leader.
2. Listening shows you care
Really listening to someone shows you care about what they’re saying and empathize with their feelings.
This creates a work environment of trust. Having the trust of your employees gives you greater influence over them.
At the same time, it makes them more motivated and committed to their work.
3. Listening helps you comprehend the situation
If you fail to pay due attention to what your employees say, you will not fully understand the situation.
Failing to comprehend the situation may lead you to give advice or recommendations that are ineffective or don’t get to the root of the problem.
4. Listening helps you better understand your business
Listening to your employees is the best way to understand the needs of your clients and business.
This helps you plan effective strategies that are oriented to the demands of your business.
5. Listening gives you a vision of the reality on the ground
Listening gives you knowledge and insights into the day-to-day reality of your employees.
It’s essential to create an atmosphere of trust and encourage your coworkers to speak openly about their daily challenges.
You might be surprised at how different their reality is from your perception of it.
Listening is usually overlooked in the workplace
According to a 2020 study by Emtrain, 1 in 10 employees say they do not trust that their leaders would listen if they made a complaint.
This results in employees suffering and not feeling supported, which affects their performance.
A further 31% of employees said their leaders lack empathy and don’t show interest in their direct reports.
Leaders who lack empathy are perceived as selfish by their teams. This can lead to the team environment deteriorating and negatively affect performance.
86% of employees believe empathy is important in the workplace. Yet less than half agree that their colleagues and leaders display empathy.
The difference between listening and active listening in leadership
Active and empathetic listening can improve the employee experience.
LinkedIn identified empathy as a key business trend for this decade in their 2020 report, Global Talent Trends.
96% of the HR and hiring professionals who spoke to LinkedIn say employee experience is becoming more important in the digital era.
38% identify open and effective management as an area for improvement.
Companies of the future will work for their employees, not the other way round.
But what’s the difference between listening and active listening?
Let’s take a look at the three types of listening and how active listening can make you a more effective leader.
1. Internal listening
This type of listening is also known as “not listening.” It’s one of the worst listening habits, yet we are all guilty of it.
You may be looking at the person and pretending to listen. You might even nod at appropriate moments and interject with “ahhs” and “umms.”
But your internal focus is on your own inner dialog — your thoughts and preoccupations. A classic example of this is half-looking at your phone while someone is talking to you.
Internal listening is a sign of poor leadership.
You will not be able to process what your team member is saying with internal listening. They will feel that you don’t understand or don’t care about them.
2. Focused listening
Focused listening is an improvement from internal listening.
This is when you are not thinking about other things [or looking at your phone]. Instead, you focus on the message the person is trying to deliver to you.
You may be hearing the words they say but are not connecting fully with the energy or emotion behind what they’re saying.
This will make your employee feel heard but not fully understood.
3. Active listening
An effective listener is an active listener.
Active listening — also known as 360 listening — requires not only focusing on what the person says but also what they don’t say.
An active listener pays attention to body language and other nonverbal cues regarding the person’s emotional state.
These give you clues as to which topics engage them and which they prefer to avoid.
Active listening is key to developing your empathy and becoming a more effective leader in the digital era.
It’s also increasingly important in a post-COVID world.
Most people are still dealing with the ongoing stressors caused by the pandemic. Those with coaching support were able to thrive despite the circumstances.
In fact, according to Statista, 36% of executives believe emotional intelligence will become an essential skill within one to three years.
Effective listening and the leader: the positive impact of listening
Effective listening isn’t only going to benefit your employees by making them feel understood. It will also benefit you as a leader and make you a better leader.
Here are five ways leadership listening impacts your role as a leader:
1. It establishes trust
Leaders who lack listening skills are more likely to be perceived as selfish by their employees, according to Emtrain.
Conversely, listening establishes trust, and employees are more likely to feel supported by their managers.
2. It motivates your employees
Listening to your employees makes them feel valued and understood.
This increases their levels of employee engagement and motivation, which has a positive impact on productivity.
3. It sets a good example
Good leadership means modeling the behaviors you wish to see reflected in company culture.
By developing and using your listening skills, you will help to foster a company culture of deep listening and empathy.
4. It drives innovation
Employees who feel their leaders listen are more likely to speak up and share their ideas and perspectives.
Getting feedback from employees can help you grow as a leader. Leaders who are open to listening to employee input can reap the reward of their innovative ideas.
5. It helps you make better decisions
When facing a decision, the more information you have on hand, the better.
Your employees often have insights that you don’t have access to. These insights can help you make better-informed decisions.
How to improve listening skills if you’re a leader
If you want to be a better leader, follow these eight tips to develop more effective listening skills.
1. Develop your active listening skills
Most of us didn’t learn active listening growing up.
Instead, we learned how to listen with the intention of replying rather than understanding.
Becoming an active listener requires you to shift your focus to understanding what the person is really saying.
This includes paying attention to their body language and not interrupting, no matter how tempting it may be.
2. Make eye contact
According to research, direct eye contact increases trust.
Trust is essential, as employees must feel safe to open up and share their ideas, opinions, and perspectives with you.
3. Ask the right questions
A good listener knows how to ask powerful questions.
This is because they pay attention to what the person is saying — and not saying — and link it to the bigger picture.
Avoid asking yes or no questions, as they will not help you get to the heart of the matter.
Instead, focus on questions that start with what, how, when, or why.
Rather than giving orders or offering solutions, ask questions that make your employee reflect.
This has the added advantage that they might come up with solutions you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.
4. Have an open mind
If you’re judging, assuming, or drawing your own conclusions, you’re not listening.
Approaching every conversation with an open mind is the mark of a great listener.
Be aware that everyone has a different approach to work. Each employee is valuable in their own way and can offer something to the team and company.
If you judge someone, you lose out on the opportunity to receive valuable input. Listening with an open mind gives you the chance to learn.
5. Develop your emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of, understand, and regulate your emotions.
It’s also the ability to recognize, understand, and empathize with the emotions of others.
Regulating your emotions and understanding those of others are key to being an effective listener.
6. Minimize distractions
When a team member comes into your office, close your laptop and put away your phone.
This lets them know they have your undivided attention. Removing distractions allows you to give the other person your full attention.
This will help you spot nonverbal cues and read between the lines of what they’re saying.
7. Reflect back
When you actively listen to someone and practice empathy, you put yourself in their shoes.
When you see the situation through their eyes, you can imagine the kind of emotions they might have experienced or thoughts they might have had.
Show the person you’ve understood them by reflecting back.
Start by repeating what they said in your own words and checking you understood correctly.
Then offer a reflection, such as, “I imagine that was a stressful situation.”
This will reassure the person that you’re really listening to them.
8. Give yourself breathing room
It can be hard to concentrate on what someone is saying when you’re rushing from meeting to meeting with thoughts flying around your head.
Block out time in your calendar for reflecting and acting on meeting outcomes. This will free up more space in your brain to listen to your team members when they talk to you.
Listening as a leader is the skill of the future
Employee experience will be the next big evolution of business as we move through the next decade.
Companies that recognize the value of employee well-being and their contribution to the organization will retain top talent.
And listening as a leader will become an increasingly valuable skill in the post-COVID environment.
If you would like support in developing your leadership listening skills, discover how BetterUp’s expert coaches can help you.