The single most effective way to get your team to listen is by listening to them – and the truth is, most of us are not well-practiced listeners. Leaders who make the effort to learn to listen, demonstrate good listening skills, and coach their team on how to listen better will outperform leaders who would prefer for their team to listen just because they happen to be in charge.

Learn how to listen

Listening is the ability to understand the intended message while being aware of others’ attitudes and feelings. Active listening tunes into the verbal and nonverbal messages that are expressed. Successful listening sends an undeniable message to others that you care about them, their ideas, and their contribution to the organization. Good listening skills directly affect problem-solving, decision-making, and maintaining healthy and productive working relationships.

How listening looks:

• Demonstrating genuine intent to understand.
• Physically turning your body to face the other person.
• Repeating or paraphrasing to ensure comprehension.
• Asking questions to ensure clarification.

What listening is NOT:

• Faking listening while the other person is talking.
• Not paying attention to nonverbal cues as you listen.
• Preparing your reply while the person is still talking.
• Letting your mind wander during the conversation.

Tips on listening:

• Use both your eyes and ears when listening.
• Never hesitate to seek clarification.
• Be aware of your own emotions and assumptions as you listens.
• Resist distractions during the conversation.

Self-check:

• Do I mentally focus on the current conversation?
• Do I try to understand before I reply?
• Do I ask questions to promote understanding?
• Do I observe and respond to nonverbal communication?

Once you understand the principles of an environment where listening occurs you can begin to put your team on the correct path and follow your goals.