Active listening is essential for effective leadership and creating high-performing teams in any organization. Creating a culture that values great listening ensures your team is on the same page, trusts each other, and is open to the collaboration it takes to succeed.
By truly hearing others, leaders can address issues more effectively, build stronger relationships, and create a positive workplace culture.
Great listening transforms leadership by making you more empathetic, encouraging your team to share, and creating the space you need for innovation. When leaders actively listen, they boost morale and engagement and gain clarity, leading to correct solutions. Organizations that prioritize active listening attract top talent, secure their commitment, and retain a high-performing team.
5 Unproductive Listening Patterns
Leadership and change are all about creating the culture needed to succeed strategically, and you should not be surprised that high-performing teams listen to each other. So, here are five helpful tips to identify common unproductive listening patterns and how your team can mitigate them.
Pattern #1: Not Actively Listening
Not actively listening occurs when we are physically present but mentally distracted. This is probably the most common unproductive listening pattern and the easiest to mitigate.
Not actively listening looks like thinking about our response, daydreaming, or being preoccupied with other tasks while someone is speaking.
Symptoms
- Frequent need for repetition of information.
- Missing key points or details.
- Making inappropriate or unrelated responses.
How to avoid it
- Focus on the speaker: Make a conscious effort to eliminate distractions and fully engage with the speaker.
- Maintain eye contact: This helps you stay present and shows the speaker that you are paying attention.
- Practice mindfulness: Being aware of your thoughts and redirecting them back to the conversation can help maintain focus.
Pattern #2: Personal Listening
Personal listening involves relating everything the speaker says to our own experiences. We like to think about actively listening and responding as ME, MY, or I responses—immediately responding with phrases like, “I also like XYZ, because ABC.”
Personal listening looks like interrupting the conversation or your speaker with personal anecdotes or shifting the conversation to ourselves.
Symptoms
- Interrupting the speaker with personal stories.
- Judging the speaker’s message based on personal experiences.
- Making the conversation about oneself rather than the speaker.
How to avoid it
- Hold back personal stories: Wait until the speaker has finished before sharing related experiences.
- Ask clarifying questions: Show interest in the speaker’s perspective rather than inserting your own.
- Reflect and paraphrase: Summarize what the speaker has said to ensure understanding and keep the focus on them.
Pattern #3: Detail Listening
Detail listening occurs when we focus excessively on specific details rather than the overall message. In leadership and facilitation, we often refer to this as “belly crawling,” which means getting stuck in the details and totally derailing a conversation.
Detail listening looks like missing the bigger picture and important insights and instead focusing on trivial details.
Symptoms
- Asking numerous specific questions that derail the main conversation.
- Focusing on minor details rather than understanding the speaker’s main point.
- Creating a sense of mistrust or micromanagement.
How to avoid it
- Look for the main message: Try to understand the speaker’s overall point before diving into details.
- Summarize key points: Reflect on the main ideas before discussing specifics.
- Trust your team: Give your team the benefit of the doubt that they have considered important details.
Pattern #4: Predictive Listening
Predictive listening involves anticipating what the speaker is going to say and filtering out what is actually being said.
This involves predicting what the speaker will say, missing important details, and filtering what is actually said.
Symptoms
- Making assumptions about the speaker’s message.
- Interrupting the speaker with pre-conceived responses.
- Overlooking new information or insights.
How to avoid it
- Stay open-minded: Approach each conversation without preconceived notions.
- Listen fully before responding: Allow the speaker to finish before forming a response.
- Validate and inquire: Confirm your understanding by asking questions rather than assuming.
Pattern #5: Certainty Listening
Certainty listening happens when we believe we already know the solution to a problem, leading to offering advice before fully understanding the issue.
This looks like dismissing the speaker’s perspective and creating a sense of superiority or dismissiveness, ultimately resulting in missed opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and growth.
Symptoms
- Providing solutions without fully understanding the problem.
- Dismissing the speaker’s perspective.
- Creating a sense of superiority or dismissiveness.
How to avoid it
- Be curious: Ask questions to fully understand the speaker’s viewpoint.
- Pause before advising: Take a moment to consider if advice is needed or if listening is more appropriate.
- Encourage problem-solving: Empower the speaker to come up with their own solutions.
Conclusion: Active Listening Matters
Active listening is not just a skill but a critical component of effective leadership. By avoiding unproductive listening patterns and adopting active listening techniques, leaders can enhance communication, build stronger relationships, and foster a more collaborative and innovative organizational culture. A culture of active listening also sets a positive workplace tone that attracts, secures, and retains a dedicated and high-performing team.
Resources We Love
Books:
- The Art of Listening by Erich Fromm
- Listening Well: The Art of Empathic Understanding by William R. Miller
- Crucial Conversations by Grenny, Patterson, McMillan, Switzler, Gregory
Podcast:
