Active listening is a fundamental skill that can help you have more productive conversations at home as well as in the workplace, whether it's a one-on-one meeting or a conference call with dozens of participants. But what exactly does it look like to practice active listening in workplace relationships? What are some ways to boost your ability to actively listen to people in a work environment? Let's take a look at these questions and more as we explore how you can hone your skills as an active listener.
The 3 A's of Active Listening
We’ll begin with the 3 A’s of Active Listening: Attention, Attitude, and Adjustment. The first part of active listening is paying attention to the speaker. This goes deeper than just "hearing" the speaker's words. It requires being in the moment and discerning their primary goal, the main points, and the structure of their communication.
Next, having a positive attitude is crucial. When you approach active listening with an openness to hearing the speaker, you will be more likely to retain information without judgment and respond accordingly. Finally, active listening involves an adjustment of your physical and verbal responses to communicate with the speaker that you are comprehending what they are saying. This could mean using nonverbal cues like maintaining eye contact and nodding along or waiting for pauses in speech to give verbal cues.
Show Your Colleagues You're Listening
Active listening is about more than just using your ears. Body language and thoughtful responses can also help show your colleague you are listening. Gestures and facial expressions can be used to show that you are engaged in the conversation. Nods and small laughs or smiles can be used to indicate that you understand what is being said. However, be cautious with frowns or eye rolls, which can indicate that a person is listening but does not agree, or can display a lack of interest in what is being said.
You can also respond verbally to show off your active listening skills by offering the speaker an astute observation or well-thought question. Use some of the 3 A’s we discussed earlier by restating what someone says to demonstrate your attention and understanding. You can also adjust your posture to reflect what someone is feeling by mirroring their facial expressions and body language. Asking open-ended questions like, “What happened next?" or "How did you feel about that?” is another great way to continue an active listening conversation.
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Follow-Up and Ask Questions
Although some speakers are effective at clearly communicating their thoughts, all listeners bear the responsibility of doing their part to understand what those intended messages are. If you are unclear about what is being conveyed, don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions! Everyone has their own style of communication, and asking questions not only shows an interest in what the speaker is saying, it can also demonstrate knowledge, insight, and initiative.
You can ask questions to clarify, asking for details or examples to make sure you’re on the same page. You can also ask questions to get more information. If there's something in what your coworker has just said that warrants further explanation, make sure it gets covered by asking them "why?" or "how?" Perhaps most importantly, you can ask questions to see if you can help. While active listening doesn't always lead directly into actionable steps, sometimes having someone else give us a fresh perspective on an issue and our next steps.
Try Not to Interrupt People
There are many ways we can better listen to others in workplace relationships. One of the most important things is not interrupting people while they're speaking. It's tempting, especially if you have something to say or a response that you want to make, but it's best to hold off and wait until the other person has finished speaking before jumping in with your own opinion or question.
Interruptions can be especially prevalent for diverse employees or members of underrepresented groups. Inclusion and active listening help them feel free to be who they are and contribute more often. If we learn how and when to ask questions instead of making comments right away, we'll have a better chance at actually hearing what our colleagues have said—and understand where they're coming from!
Check-In with Coworkers
Check-in with employees or coworkers when you feel like they haven't been listened to fully and ask them what they think needs to change. Make sure that you have their permission before doing this, as it can be invasive. If they seem receptive, you can use their suggestions to move toward a more inclusive meeting format where people are encouraged to share their ideas and concerns openly.
The goal of inclusion initiatives is to provide a workplace where members of underrepresented groups can feel free to be who they are and contribute actively. While some inclusion initiatives focus on providing resources and opportunities to minority groups, it’s important to improve the inclusivity of the workplace environment as a whole. You could technically have the same resources available to everyone in the workplace, but if diverse team members don't feel valued enough to contribute and reach for those opportunities, then it's not really inclusion.
Active Listening Increases Work Satisfaction
Active listening is a skill that can be learned, and it's one that will benefit everyone involved. Active listeners are better communicators because they're more likely to understand what their coworkers or boss needs from them, which leads to greater work satisfaction for everyone. Workplace active listening can also build trust, creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. It can also reduce misunderstandings, increase productivity, and improve overall communication.
Active listening is a skill that has the power to transform any workplace. It’s an easy way to show your colleagues and employees that you care about what they have to say, and it’s also an opportunity for all parties involved to reflect on what was said in order to make better decisions moving forward.
Workplace Training for Active Listening
Help your employees use active listening skills to create authentic relationships in the workplace. The best-in-class courses in EasyLlama’s Diversity and Inclusion training suite address effective communication, and our Llama Bite micro-course on Active Listening offers a quick, bite-sized refresher on these important listening skills whenever employees need one! Learn more about EasyLlama’s award-winning workplace training with a free course preview today.
