One of the most important things a supervisor can do to show employees respect, is to actively listen to them in conversation. In this episode, we take on the topic of active listening and highlight 5 ways mid and frontline managers can demonstrate this important skill.
Transcript:
Active listening. What is it, why is it important, and how do you do it? That's our topic today. Stick around.
Hello and thank you for joining us. My name is Joe White, and I'm the host of Supervisor Skills: Secrets of Success. The SOS Podcast series is produced to create ongoing development opportunities for mid and frontline managers. With each episode, we take on topics of interest and share insights and perspectives for the benefit of our listeners.
In today's SOS short episode, we're talking about active listening. A term many have heard, it's a skill most supervisors struggle with and one of utmost importance to employee relations.
Hopefully, you'll find some value from our discussion today and be able to benefit from it in one way or another.
At one point or another, we've all been there. We've experienced the effects of someone passively engaged in conversation with us. Whether distracted by emails, phones, or something else, when we don't have someone's full attention, we just don't feel important. As is so often the case, being heard is rarely enough. Being listened to for the purpose of clear understanding, however, is something entirely different. As a supervisor, it's important that you understand the fine line separating the two. Active listening goes beyond hearing words in the context of the conversation. It involves giving one's undivided attention to someone else for the purpose of clearly understanding what they have to say. In practice, it means being fully present and in the moment when someone is talking to you. Those that do it well make a conscious and deliberate effort to eliminate, or at least minimize competing distractions.
As for the benefits of active listening, there are many. For supervisors, it certainly helps build rapport with employees and ultimately helps you earn their respect. As for employees, feeling important and listened to improves the levels of engagement. Highly engaged employees have fewer injuries, are more motivated, and are far more likely to stick around than those that aren't. If it's something you're not currently doing, it's well worth considering as a leadership practice you can start right away. To help you do so, here are several recommendations for consideration:
Body language is very important. Look directly at the employee, make eye contact with them, and avoid fidgeting with items in your proximity. Show the employee that what they have to say is more important to you than anything else at the moment.
For many, this is one of the biggest challenges associated with active listening. Jumping into conclusions, interrupting the speaker, or reading into what they may be saying can hijack the conversation. It also sends the wrong message. Exercise patience and restraint. Let the conversation follow a natural course and allow your employees to establish the pace and direction it takes.
All too often, we process conversations for the purpose of providing a response or counterargument. While there's a time and place for that, active listening is about understanding. Where appropriate, ask questions to clarify points of discussion. Also, ask for details needed for context and meaning. Avoid criticism or remarks that could shut down the dialogue.
When employees engage with supervisors, it's often for the purpose of sharing a need of some sort. When that happens, it's important to acknowledge receiving it and to clarify expectations involving it. Agree on the path forward and the timing by which it will take place.