Active listening skills are crucial for leaders because they help build trust and rapport, resolve conflicts, ensure understanding, and foster a positive work environment. When leaders practice active listening, they\u2019re better equipped to understand the needs and concerns of their team members, leading to more effective communication and collaboration.<\/p>\n
The Benefits of Active Listening<\/h2>\n
Next, it\u2019s important to take a step back and understand why active listening matters.<\/p>\n
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- It conveys the message that what others have to say is valuable.<\/strong> This is a way to make employees feel reassured and included, helping to\u202fbuild belonging at work<\/a>, and can signal being interested, open-minded, and supportive, as well as valuing knowledge and expertise.<\/li>\n
- It facilitates greater understanding between individuals or teams.<\/strong>\u00a0Being a strong, attentive listener will encourage your coworkers and direct reports to share more information with you, giving you a better grasp of relevant issues and making you better equipped to take appropriate action.<\/li>\n
- It fosters psychological safety.<\/strong> Being a thoughtful listener, asking questions, seeking clarification, and encouraging others to share their perspectives will reinforce your relationships, whether with a direct report, colleague, mentor, spouse, child, or friend, enabling them to feel more comfortable sharing again with you in the future.<\/li>\n
- It enables you to provide feedback and coaching others.<\/strong> Active listening is a critical step in coaching people<\/a> on your team as they work through issues.<\/li>\n
- It provides an example of a listening-oriented climate.<\/strong> By consistently demonstrating how to actively listen, and the importance of listening, you help establish a shared expectation of how others should treat another at your organization, establishing a climate of respect<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Once you begin to put the active listening skillset into practice, you\u2019ll notice the positive impact it has in a number of areas, including in leader effectiveness, in personal and professional relationships, and in various social situations.<\/p>\n
\nAccess Our Webinar!<\/h3>\n
Watch our on-demand webinar, Why Action Can Be a Critical Part of Active Listening<\/em><\/a>, and learn how to improve your active listening skills and hear ways to go beyond just<\/em> listening to create a space that fosters employee voice.<\/p>\n
Access Webinar<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow to Be a Better Listener<\/h2>\n
Active listening and reflecting, responding, and giving feedback aren\u2019t always easy.<\/strong> Here are some helpful active listening tips for leaders and managers:<\/p>\n
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- Pay close attention to the speaker\u2019s behavior and body language to gain a better understanding of their message.<\/li>\n
- Signal that you\u2019re following along with visual cues like nodding and eye contact; ask clarifying questions to ensure your understanding.<\/li>\n
- Avoid potential interruptions \u2014 from technology (e.g., phone or email notifications) and from humans (e.g., knocks on your door).<\/li>\n
- Keep an open mind. Rather than evaluating the message and offering an opinion, simply make the speaker feel heard and validated.<\/li>\n
- Confirm you\u2019ve understood what the speaker has said\u202fby verifying your understanding.<\/li>\n
- Be an attentive listener and have your toolkit of active listening techniques at the ready for whenever coaching conversations<\/a> occur.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At CCL, we help leaders go beyond basic active listening skills so that they\u2019re better equipped to truly listen to understand <\/em>others \u2014 including the facts, feelings, and values that may be hidden behind the words actually being shared. At the organizational level, training people how to listen more effectively helps provide role models for the next generation of leaders and builds a workplace culture of truth and courage<\/a>.<\/p>\n
6 Active Listening Techniques<\/h2>\n
Enhancing your active listening skillset <\/strong>involves more than just hearing someone speak. When you\u2019re putting active listening skills into practice, you should be using these 6 techniques:<\/p>\n
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- Pay attention<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Withhold judgment<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Reflect<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Clarify<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Summarize<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Share<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"Infographic:](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/coaching-others-using-active-listening-skills-infographic-center-for-creative-leadership.png\")
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1. Pay attention.<\/h3>\n
One goal of active listening and being an effective listener is to set a comfortable tone that gives the speaker an opportunity to think and talk. Allow \u201cwait time\u201d before responding. Don\u2019t cut the person off, finish their sentences, or start formulating your answer before they\u2019ve finished. Pay attention to your body language as well as your frame of mind when engaging in active listening. Be focused on the moment, make eye contact, and operate from a place of respect as the listener.<\/p>\n
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2. Withhold judgment.<\/h3>\n
Active listening requires an open mind. As a listener and a leader, be open to new ideas, new perspectives, and new possibilities when practicing active listening. Even when good listeners have strong views, they suspend judgment, hold any criticisms, and avoid interruptions like arguing or selling their point right away. This can be easier if you maintain an open body posture. For example, having your arms resting on the side, rather than crossed across the chest, can signal a greater degree of openness.<\/p>\n
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3. Reflect and validate.<\/h3>\n
When you\u2019re the listener, don\u2019t assume that you understand correctly \u2014 or that the speaker knows you\u2019ve heard them. Mirror their emotions by periodically paraphrasing key points. Reflecting is an active listening technique that indicates that you and your counterpart are on the same page. This is key in showing emotional intelligence, which improves leadership effectiveness<\/a>.<\/p>\n
For example, the speaker might tell you, \u201cEmma is so loyal and supportive of her people \u2014 they\u2019d walk through fire for her. But no matter how much I push, her team keeps missing deadlines.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
To paraphrase, you could say, \u201cSo Emma\u2019s people skills are great, but accountability is a problem.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
If you hear, \u201cI don\u2019t know what else to do!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or \u201cI\u2019m tired of bailing the team out at the last minute,\u201d<\/em> try helping the other person label their feelings: \u201cSounds like you\u2019re feeling pretty frustrated and stuck.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0This can be a way to make them feel validated.<\/p>\n
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4. Clarify.<\/h3>\n
Ask questions about any issue that\u2019s ambiguous or unclear. As the listener, if you have doubt or confusion about what the other person has said, say something like, \u201cLet me see if I\u2019m understanding. Are you talking about …?\u201d <\/em>or \u201cWait a minute. I didn\u2019t follow you.\u201d <\/em>Asking for clarification shows you are paying attention.<\/p>\n
Open-ended, clarifying, and probing questions are important active listening tools that encourage the speaker to do the work of self-reflection and problem solving, rather than justifying or defending a position, or trying to guess the \u201cright answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Examples include:\u00a0\u201cWhat do you think about …?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0\u201cTell me about …?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cWill you further explain \/ describe …?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
When engaging in active listening, the emphasis is on asking<\/em>, rather than telling. It assumes the other person has valuable input, and maintains a spirit of collaboration.<\/p>\n
You might say:\u00a0\u201cWhat are some of the specific things you\u2019ve tried?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cHave you asked the team what their main concerns are?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cDoes Emma agree that there are performance problems?\u201d<\/em> and \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Is there any other information that might be helpful to find out?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
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5. Summarize.<\/h3>\n
Restating key themes as the conversation proceeds confirms and solidifies your grasp of the other person\u2019s point of view. It also helps both parties to be clear on mutual responsibilities and next steps. Briefly summarize what you\u2019ve understood while practicing active listening, and ask the other person to do the same.<\/p>\n
Giving a brief restatement of core themes raised by the speaker might sound like: \u201cLet me summarize to check my understanding. Emma was promoted to manager, and her team loves her. But you don\u2019t believe she holds them accountable, so mistakes are accepted and keep happening. You\u2019ve tried everything you can think of, and there\u2019s no apparent impact. Did I get that right?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Restating key themes helps with understanding and promotes accountability<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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6. Share.<\/h3>\n
Active listening is first <\/em>about understanding the other person, then <\/em>about being understood as the listener.<\/strong> As you gain a clearer understanding of the other person\u2019s perspective, you can begin to introduce your own ideas, feelings, and suggestions. People are more receptive to new ideas and suggestions when they feel understood.<\/p>\n
Once the situation has been talked through, both you and the other person have a good picture of where things stand. From this point, the conversation can shift into problem-solving: What assumptions are we making? What hasn\u2019t been tried? What don\u2019t we know? What new approaches could be taken?<\/em><\/p>\n
As the listener-coach, continue to query, guide, and offer, but don\u2019t dictate a solution. Your \u201ccoachee\u201d will feel more confident and eager if they think through the options and own the solution.<\/p>\n
Used in combination, these 6 active listening techniques are the keys in\u00a0holding a coaching conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"Active](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/active-listening-center-for-creative-leadership.jpg\")
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\nDiscover how to use active listening to become a more effective listener and leader<\/a> to build solid working relationships based on trust, respect, and honesty.<\/div>\nActive Listening Skills Aren\u2019t Enough: For People to Feel Heard,\u00a0Actions Matter Too<\/h2>\n
Our Research on the Connection Between Leader Listening, Taking Action & Employee Voice<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re a leader of others, you should know that while active listening is very important, just listening alone is not enough to ensure that others feel heard.<\/em><\/p>\n
Employees speak up because they want to make a positive difference in their organizations. But what their leaders do with the information employees share really matters.<\/p>\n
Our research has found<\/a>\u00a0that employee perception of being listened to is 2x greater among those whose leader listened, and then took an action<\/em>,<\/strong> than among those who shared with a leader who then did nothing. When leaders act on what they heard, this builds trust and greater psychological safety<\/a>, and their employees are more likely to raise suggestions or share ideas again in the future.<\/p>\n
Said another way, if you\u2019re a fairly poor listener but you do <\/em>take some action on what you hear, your employees may actually feel more listened to than if you were a great listener with strong active listening skills \u2014 but then did nothing based on what you heard.<\/p>\n
Active listening combined with taking action<\/em> fosters and encourages employee voice,<\/strong> which is important for organizations because it\u2019s positively related to better decision-making and increased organizational innovation and creativity. Unfortunately, when an employee perceives that there are career, reputation, or relational concerns about speaking up, they tend not<\/em> to voice their ideas and suggestions, opting to remain silent out of fear, which deprives their teams and organizations of critical information, insights, new ideas, and process improvements.<\/p>\n
So, when your direct reports or colleagues share their suggestions or concerns, you should pay attention, of course \u2014 but know that your employees still won\u2019t feel that they were listened to if you don\u2019t also take action on what you learned, where appropriate. That\u2019s why we say that active listening, combined with taking action, is an essential part of showing truly compassionate leadership<\/a>.<\/p>\n
So leaders, remember that the last and most important part of your active listening skillset is taking action on what you hear.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Assess Your Active Listening Effectiveness<\/h2>\n
Many people take their listening skills for granted. We often assume it\u2019s obvious that we\u2019re practicing active listening and that others know they\u2019re being heard. But the reality is that research shows most of us vastly overrate our listening skills.<\/p>\n
As leaders, we get distracted by technology, are overloaded with information, and often struggle with active listening. We may have difficulty hearing bad news, accepting criticism, and dealing with people\u2019s feelings. Even with the best of intentions, you may be unconsciously sending signals that you aren\u2019t listening at all. This increases the risk of misunderstanding, which can decrease psychological safety and leave others feeling alienated.<\/p>\n
You may need to brush up on your active listening techniques if any of the following questions describe you. Do you sometimes:<\/p>\n
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- Have a hard time concentrating on what\u2019s being said, especially when the person speaking is complaining, rambling, or gossiping?<\/li>\n
- Find yourself planning what to say next, rather than thinking about what the speaker is saying?<\/li>\n
- Dislike it when someone disagrees or questions your ideas or actions?<\/li>\n
- Zone out when the speaker has a negative attitude?<\/li>\n
- Give advice too soon and suggest solutions to problems before the other person has fully explained their perspective?<\/li>\n
- Tell people not to feel the way they do?<\/li>\n
- Talk significantly more than the other person talks?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you answered\u00a0yes<\/em> to any of these questions, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n
How to Improve Your Active Listening Skills<\/h2>\n
\nGrow Your Active Listening Skillset<\/h3>\n
![\"7](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/7-day-active-listening-challenge-cover-ccl.jpg\")
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\nIf you want to grow your active listening skillset and you\u2019re ready to take the active listening challenge<\/strong><\/a>, read on!<\/p>\n
- Withhold judgment<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Pay attention<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- It facilitates greater understanding between individuals or teams.<\/strong>\u00a0Being a strong, attentive listener will encourage your coworkers and direct reports to share more information with you, giving you a better grasp of relevant issues and making you better equipped to take appropriate action.<\/li>\n