Most of us are lucky enough to be born with the ability to hear, but learning to listen is a skill that we develop with varying degrees of success. I know that at different times during my career, particularly when things have been stressful or overwhelming, I’ve had to remind myself to shut up and listen. I think it’s easy to pay lip service to the idea that communication is a two-way street. But it’s not unusual to default to talking and forget about the listening component of communication. Time, and time again, I’ve found that listening to my peers and employees is my fastest, best point of connection. When I’m attentive to what they are saying and how they’re saying it, I know it shows that I value them individually and that I value their contribution to the workplace. Ii fact, when I am showed the same courtesy, I know it makes me feel valued. It makes sense that listening helps to build trust, culture, and optimal performance. However, it may simultaneously be the single easiest change to talk about in leadership style, yet the single hardest change to genuinely implement.
For some people listening is a challenge because it doesn’t come naturally. It’s a skill that needs to be developed. For others listening is only an occasional challenge. As I mentioned above, I sometimes revert to talking more and listening less. I know I do this because it helps me gather information more quickly. But when I make the choice to stop listening, it erodes relationships and limits opportunities. The less you listen, the less chance you have of hearing an innovative idea from a colleague or a concern from a customer that can be satisfied immediately instead of being left to fester. Others have a hard time listening because the day-to-day details of being a manager get in the way. There’s always another report to read or meeting to attend. And, frankly, listening doesn’t always look like work. If that’s the case in your organization, then it may be time for a culture shift. I’ve visited workplaces where leaders have listening on their radar but really only hear their team but do not listen. Remember, your actions will clearly convey to your team if you’re truly listening. Let your actions and words illustrate that you heard them. If you decide to go in another direction, explain why and people will feel comfortable to continue coming to you with ideas, because they know you listened and took the time to provide them insight to your actions..
Mike set an excellent example of the importance of listening as captain of Benfold. He didn’t just listen; he listened aggressively to his crewmembers. Mike found a way to formalize his listening through individual crew interviews. He spoke with every crewmember, a few at a time, to learn more about their hopes, dreams, skills, complaints, and innovative ideas. The crew interviews were highly effective and became the building blocks for many of Mike’s later leadership decisions. However, when the interviews were done, Mike didn’t stop listening. He made himself a visible presence on board Benfold and visited daily with crewmembers. He made himself accessible to the crew so their good ideas and complaints and concerns could make their way to him. And he showed he was listening by addressing these good ideas, complaints, and concerns. More importantly, he created a culture in which crewmembers could trust him and the other members of his leadership team to listen without fear of repercussion. Listening may not always directly benefit the bottom line of a company, but Mike proved over and over again that listening makes for a happier, more productive workforce.
