As a leader, what happens when you develop better listening skills?

• Your employees become more motivated, engaged and productive.
• You retain more information and make fewer mistakes.
• You foster mutual trust with your team.
• You develop 6-pack abs.

Okay; maybe not that last answer – but you get where today’s post is going, right?

Strong listening skills are an essential component of great leadership. It takes more than a functioning set of ears, however, to develop those skills. Crunches and a low-fat diet won’t help, either.

What does work? “Exercising” these behaviors, each day:

Put Away that Shiny Rectangle

“Phubbing,” or phone-snubbing, is the practice of checking your phone in a social situation instead of giving the speaker your full attention. If you’re phubbing your employees, you’re sending a clear message that you’re not interested in them or what they have to say – which results in diminished trust, lower levels of job satisfaction and damaged work relationships.

Unless you’re managing a crisis, put away your smartphone when engaging with your employees.

Be Fully Present

Banishing your phone is a good start. Once it’s put away, make a conscious effort to be in the moment when someone is speaking to you, focusing your eyes and ears on them. Ask questions, and encourage them to elaborate on their ideas. Give them a safe space in which to share their views and concerns. When you engage yourself fully in a conversation, employees will instantly realize that you’re paying attention – and truly attempting to understand what’s important to them.

Practice Active Listening

Tend to finish your employees’ sentences? Formulate your responses while the speaker is still talking? Developing better active listening skills will make you a more patient and empathetic listener. Here are a few simple habits to practice:

• Don’t interrupt. It’s more than rude; it’s antithetical to effective listening. You simply cannot speak and understand someone else’s message at the same time.
• Resist the urge to plan how you’ll respond while the other person is speaking. Devote your full attention to comprehension.
• Monitor the speaker’s words, tone of voice and body language (you’ll get important information from all three sources).
• Pay attention to what the speaker doesn’t say as much as what they do say (read between the lines).
• Make friendly, not intimidating, contact.
• Summarize and repeat what the other person has said, to make sure you understand them fully.
• Clarify or probe for more information, when necessary.
• Respond only once you’re sure you grasp what the speaker has communicated.

Related posts:

3 Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills

3 Important Things Great Leaders Do Every Day

What to Do if a Conversation Becomes Loud and Aggressive

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