Imagine you were trying to open up to a friend, but you could tell they weren’t really listening and their mind was elsewhere. How would it make you feel? Not very important, probably.
We praise people for being good listeners precisely because we know lots of us aren’t. But in line management, active listening can make or break your employee relationships.
So, what is active listening and how can you become good at it?
In this article, we’ll explore:
- The benefits of active listening to line managers
- Practical active listening tips for your next 1-2-1
- How to overcome common active listening barriers
First, a quick definition.
What is active listening?
Active listening is when you observe and absorb what somebody is telling you with their body language and emotional cues, as well as with the words they’re saying.
Active listeners are present and engaged with the speaker, and respond thoughtfully with open questions that allow them to reflect on their thoughts and feelings.
Here’s why active listening is such an important skill for managers.
The benefits of active listening
Active listening plays an important role in compassionate leadership, allowing you to make your employees feel truly heard, understood and cared for.
At its core, active listening is about understanding. Using certain verbal and non-verbal techniques in conversation, you can better understand a person and their needs.
Here’s how active listening benefits the manager-employee relationship:
- Enhances trust: direct reports who know you care about them are more likely to trust your intentions, boosting their motivation and receptiveness to feedback.
- Improves problem solving: being a non-judgmental sounding board can help your employee self-reflect, and make considered decisions about the way forward.
- Resolves conflict: a line manager who listens intently without interrupting, being distracted or judging is well-equipped to defuse even the most heated of situations.
- Boosts teamwork: staff who receive active listening from you may be more likely to mimic those techniques with peers, enhancing communication and collaboration.
Ready to try some active listening with your direct reports?
Practical tips to improve your active listening skills
Here are some practical active listening tips for your next 1-2-1.
1. Remove distractions
Environmental factors can make it harder to listen well. Background noise and activity, and buzzing mobile phones, can steal your attention and make the speaker feel unimportant.
What to do:
- Block out the time in your diaries so other colleagues know you’re not available
- Choose a quiet location where there won’t be any competition for your attention
- Switch your phone to silent and place it out of sight, eg. in a jacket pocket or bag.
2. Avoid interrupting
Don’t ruin your rapport by constantly thinking about what to say next. Instead, focus on what the other person is saying and use your own non-verbal cues to show you’re engaged.
What to do:
- Be comfortable with the fact that you won’t do much speaking. Silence is okay.
- Use a nod, ‘mm-hmm’, smile or an ‘I understand’ to show you’re following
- Focus on hearing and remembering their words, so you can recall them later.
3. Watch for non-verbal cues
Experts think the overwhelming majority of what we say is said without words. In conversation, non-verbal cues speak volumes about what we really mean and feel.
What to do:
- Pay attention to facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact and tone of voice
- ‘Take your time’ can be a great encourager for someone showing signs of discomfort
- Suggest taking a break and returning later if the speaker seems especially distressed.
4. Be aware of your body language
When body language and tone of voice do so much of our speaking for us, it’s important to watch your own non-verbal communication when you’re in the role of listener.
What to do:
- Keep a good level of natural eye contact so the speaker can see your responses
- Try not to fold your arms, cross your legs or slouch. Just sit up straight and relax.
- Face the person who’s speaking so they know they have your full attention.
5. Summarise, clarify and empathise
A key part of active listening is reflecting the speaker’s words and feelings back to them. You’re essentially a mirror, there to help them see (and hear) themselves more clearly.
What to do:
- Use pauses to summarise key points or events that have just been described
- Ask for clarification that you’ve understood meanings and feelings correctly
- A simple ‘I understand’ can make the speaker feel validated and appreciated.
6. Ask open questions
While it’s best to avoid sharing advice or personal stories unless asked to, a good listener can encourage the speaker by asking questions to keep the conversation moving.
What to do:
- ‘What happened next?’ can help the speaker home in on the important specifics
- ‘How did that make you feel?’ can shift the focus from an incident to its impact
- ‘What do you think could improve things?’ can help pivot from impacts to solutions.
Finally, let’s look at a few things to be mindful of as you try out these techniques.
How to overcome common barriers to active listening
As you start to listen more actively in your conversations with your team, you may notice a few barriers to putting these techniques into practice.
Here’s how you can overcome some of these common active listening barriers.
Resist the temptation to problem-solve
Yes, you have a duty of care to the people you manage. But that doesn’t mean you have to try to fix everybody’s problems, or take them all on as if they were your own.
Active listening doesn’t mean you provide all the answers. Try asking ‘What would you say to me if our roles were reversed?’ to help someone identify their own options for change.
Be sensitive to the needs of EFL speakers
With many workers speaking English as a foreign language (EFL), the care sector has a high potential for miscommunication due to cultural differences and language barriers.
Managers and their teams must be sensitive to each others needs in order to listen effectively. Insisting on the use of clear, slang-free language by everyone is a good start.
Consider active listening training for your team
While you may be able to influence your employees to adopt some of these same techniques in conversations with each other, there’s no substitute for actual training.
Active listening training doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many online learning options that don’t require in-person attendance, and the benefits can far outweigh the costs.
