“Expect to hear about grief, anxiety, and fear,” they write. Ask your mentees how they’re really doing. Fessell, Vineet Chopra, and Sanjay Saint at HBR. If you’re in a mentoring position to health care workers, “begin with listening,” advise David P. That’s because listening is critical in times of crisis.įront-line workers, for example, need emotional support. Demonstrating empathy “requires stepping outside of your own needs, assessing and removing bias and privilege, actively listening to your people, and then taking action.”Īnd now, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, more than ever, being a good listener is a desired skill to have. Why listening is so crucialīeing an active listener is part of empathetic leadership, the kind that prevents employee burnout, writes Jennifer Moss, cofounder and board member at workplace insights and consultancy firm Plasticity Labs, in an article for Harvard Business Review. This makes positive performance reviews and promotions much more likely. For instance, you and your team will bring in projects on time and on budget, and your team’s productivity rates will be consistently high. If you understand and are able to motivate your colleagues and team members, those leadership abilities will be noticed by your direct report and those higher up the corporate chain. If you are a good listener, more people will open up to you. The best way to keep your thumb on the pulse of the workplace is to interact with the people in it. Part of that loyalty is based on the fact that those leaders are effective listeners, and good listeners appeal to a common denominator in humans-the desire to be heard.Ĭompetent leaders also have a deep understanding of workplace dynamics. She explains a couple of reasons for this:Ĭharismatic leaders have the greatest influence over others because their followers develop loyalty to them. “Being a good listener can help you to be a better leader,” Nance tells us. Read more: Are You a Manager-or a Leader? How can active listening be important to your career? Listening builds relationships, and strong collegial relationships make for a less stressful work environment.Īll of this (decreased errors, seamless teamwork, and a healthy work environment) results in increased productivity and higher employee engagement and retention. The more you know about the individuals in your workgroup, the better you will work together. She said there are three main reasons why active listening is so important in the workplaceĪctive listening (which includes paraphrasing what is said and asking for clarification) decreases errors. We asked Nicki Nance, a psychotherapist and an associate professor of human services and psychology at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, this question. Read more: The Open Door Policy: Pure Chaos or Creative Collaboration? Why is effective listening an important skill? Good listeners are in the moment: They don’t race ahead of the speaker, making judgments and formulating responses. That kind of focus means you should not be distracted by your phone, your own thoughts, or any other interruptions. To listen well, you have to pay attention to the speaker. It’s not a matter of being passive, but requires responses that show you understand what the speaker is saying. Unlike hearing, which just happens, you need to concentrate in order to listen effectively. What is active listening?Īctively listening to another person is a choice. If you’re constantly asking colleagues to “say again,” you might need to develop your effective listening skills. They can affect your career: Active listening can make you a better leader and manager. Good listening skills, then, are important to develop and to use. And if it occurs frequently, as sometimes happens in the workplace, it can erode employee engagement and productivity. Whatever their excuse, not being listened to is insulting. The person you’re speaking to at work is distracted, either thinking about something else or actually doing something else when you’re talking. “What did you say? I heard you, but I wasn’t listening.”
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