According to research by UKG Workforce Institute, 86% of employees feel that different voices at their organization aren't heard fairly, and 47% say underrepresented voices are undervalued. 63% of workers feel their manager or employer has ignored their voice, and 75% do not feel heard on critical issues. These startling numbers raise concerns about what goes unresolved in organizations due to a lack of listening, e.g., ongoing safety issues, unusual swings in revenue or costs, a frustrated employee, competitors launching a new product, client disputes, etc.
Listening to employees is fundamental to any organization’s efficacy. It requires effort and (a skill called) intentional listening. Before we address solutions, however, each of us must assess our ability to listen authentically. Review the most common barriers to effective listening (below) and ask yourself if you’ve struggled with them and how frequently.
The Top Five Barriers to Listening
1. Distractions
The two types of distractions are internal and external. It’s easy to empathize with both types. Internal distractions include all the ideas, to-do’s (big and small), schedules, family obligations, and concerns that we’re juggling that make listening a challenge. External distractions can include excessive noise if you work in an open-plan office or a repair shop, lack of privacy, and all sources of interruptions, such as humans, social media, etc.
2. Assumptions and Prejudgments
Too often, we make assumptions about what someone will say and immediately start formulating our response before the person is given the air to articulate their thoughts. We can also bring our own biases, positions, and thoughts about an issue that we may or may not be willing to rethink, or at minimum, make an effort to hear another point of view.
3. Emotional Reactions
Depending on the subject and context of a conversation, a person’s response can be anger, frustration, or defensiveness. For example, there was a situation where a colleague was meeting with the advertising group on a major new initiative and felt they were patronizing and dismissive of her ideas and recommendations. She left the meeting feeling angry and defensive and came to my office and said, “We need to go for a walk.”
I immediately sensed that something had gone awry, so we quietly left the building and started walking around the far ends of the parking lot. She recapped her meeting and, as she spoke, became quite emotional and started cursing. I let her vent. She was a terrific employee, and we had a close working relationship. Once she calmed down, we discussed how to handle the situation, developed the next steps, and returned to the building. This is a poignant, real-life example of how our voice’s tone and inflection can elicit innumerable responses.
4. Listening with an Agenda
This can be one of the most frustrating interactions between two parties. One side is interested only in providing their response vs. listening-really listening to the other person. In the sage words of Stephen R. Covey, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Another conversational dynamic is selective hearing, where certain words or phrases from a conversation are intentionally remembered and focused upon-often to the other side’s detriment.
5. Lack of Empathy
The topic your colleague wants to speak about may be unimportant to you. However, your response, or lack thereof, will be transparent to your colleague. If they sense you don’t wish to understand what they have to say, they will leave feeling dejected and worthless. If you, the colleague, find yourself in this situation, speak with others in the organization to get their perspectives. Don’t let one inattentive person dismiss your thoughts.
After reviewing these barriers, how many apply to you? Addressing these impediments requires mindfulness, active engagement, and the willingness to set aside biases and distractions to understand the speaker entirely. Here are a few ways to start becoming a more intentional listener.
Quick Tips for Being an Intentional Listener
1. Go Deeper
Ask yourself if you are in the best frame of mind for listening. Is your environment noisy and distracting, or is your brain juggling too much? If so, a helpful first step is to change your environment, e.g., move the meeting to a conference room or walk around the parking lot. The second step is to take some deep breaths. Breathing sends a critical signal to the brain that the situation is safe, which facilitates critical thinking. The objective here is to make sure you can focus intently on what your colleague is sharing.
2. Put Aside Your Biases, Perceptions, and Ideas
When we clear our thinking, we open ourselves to learning about the organization's challenges and opportunities. At that point, it’s not about agreeing or disagreeing. It’s about authentic listening and realizing that your colleague is trying to help the business.
3. Mind your Body Posture and Voice
When listening, you are under the microscope. Your colleague is assessing if your arms are folded, your intonation, your emotions, eye contact (or lack thereof), and the questions you ask (to gain a deeper understanding) or otherwise.
Listening is not easy, but it’s one of the most impactful gifts we can give to another person. It improves self-esteem, strengthens relationships, increases one’s sense of belonging, and encourages growth and change.
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Michael Benedict published his first book, The Civil Society Playbook: A Commonsense Plan for a Return to Civility, in 2024. His career spans 25+ years in senior-level marketing positions at Fortune 1000 companies, tech startups, and marketing consultancies. His book covers areas of incivility that are not frequently discussed in the media. It offers solutions - actions - that anyone, regardless of age, can implement to improve civility in all aspects of society. He can be reached at michaelbbenedict@gmail.com. The book is available on Amazon, Apple Books, and Audible.
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