When we think about strong leaders, several traits might come to mind right away, such as the ability to speak confidently, effectively delegate tasks, or find creative solutions to problems. But there's one trait that's often overlooked yet essential to being a strong leader: the ability to actively listen to their team.
To build a strong team, it's crucial that your employees feel heard and understood, and this starts with listening. Active listening means much more than just hearing what someone is saying. It means understanding what someone is trying to tell you by giving them your full attention, asking questions, and seeking clarification. Actively listening to your team can improve team morale, employee retention, and the overall quality of work produced by your team.
While active listening may be a communication skill that comes more naturally to some, it's still a skill that needs to be nurtured and developed.
Below are six ways managers can improve their active listening skills.
The first step in creating opportunities for discussions with your employees is making sure you're scheduling time to meet with them. Consider setting up weekly or biweekly one-on-one meetings with each of your team members, as well as regular team calls. This will give you the opportunity to engage with each employee individually and with your entire team in a group setting.
One of the most important things you can do when meeting with someone is give them your full attention. Stay present in the conversation, and don't let your mind wander or become distracted. Staying present may be harder than you think. For many of us, we'll start thinking about what we want to say next instead of fully taking in what the speaker is saying. By doing this, it's easy to catch the first part of what's being said and miss the second half.
This is also true if someone is sharing a problem they're currently experiencing. You may want to immediately think of a solution to help them, but the most important thing you can do in that moment is stop and fully listen.
One reason you may feel the need to think of a solution or something to say in response is the silence that follows when someone finishes speaking. Silence may feel uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be.
By giving yourself and the speaker a moment to pause, you're providing an opportunity for both of you to reflect and gain additional insight into the topic being discussed. It gives you a moment to process what was said and consider how to respond. This is when you should think about what to say next, rather than while someone is still speaking.
Don't be afraid to ask questions to help you understand what someone is saying. Asking thoughtful questions can help the speaker feel validated and demonstrate that you're listening and trying to fully understand their perspective.
For example, you can reflect someone's words back to them when seeking clarification. You might ask, "I heard XYZ. Is that what you meant?"
If there's a specific aspect you're unsure about, you can also ask, "I really want to understand more about XYZ. Can you explain that part a little more?"
One of the most important parts of active listening is making sure you understand what the speaker is trying to communicate. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification, but make sure you're asking questions at the appropriate time rather than interrupting the person speaking.
After the speaker finishes talking, it may be helpful to summarize what they said to make sure you fully understand. This can be done by reflecting their words back as a question, as mentioned above, or by incorporating a summary into your response.
Your response doesn't always need to include a solution, but it should demonstrate empathy.
For example, if an employee expresses frustration about having an overwhelming workload, your response might include something like, "I understand that you're feeling overwhelmed by your current workload. I've been there before. Let's talk about what should be prioritized and go from there."
Alternatively, you might say, "If I'm understanding correctly, you're feeling really overwhelmed right now. I understand how you're feeling. Let's talk about potential solutions."
Whether you had a conversation with an employee who's going through a difficult time or someone briefly mentioned feeling overwhelmed with a project during your last one-on-one meeting, always be sure to follow up.
Ask how things are going or whether they've improved. Following up shows the speaker that you listened and understood their concerns.
If you took away any action items from the conversation, make sure you let your employee know where things stand. Even if there was an issue you weren't able to resolve, being honest about it is much better than never mentioning it again.
By following these tips, you can improve your active listening skills as a manager and, in turn, build a stronger team that works together more effectively.