Now more than ever we need to look at our employees as a whole person. Working from home has shunned the rule of “leaving your personal issues at home,” especially when there’s a six-year-old pulling on your shirt while your dog barks at him, and you're muted on a conference call praying this one time they don’t ask for your input. Let’s face it, the workplace is changing. In the future, it’s very practical a hybrid solution becomes more prevalent and working from home more common. How do we become more sensitive to our employees and their needs, and really make those in-person meetings impactful?
First, let’s talk about communication. Sometimes what comes out can drastically differ from the message trying to be conveyed, especially in highly dynamic working conditions. It’s important to be able to listen and hear what is really being said, even more so in a virtual arena. This is the first step to making sure you set you and your team up for success. Here are 10 principles to help you listen more effectively both online and in the office in all types of scenarios both professionally and personally:
Stop talking — Simple… you can’t listen when you’re flapping your own gums.
Avoid external distractions — be fully engaged in what is being said. Block off some time you know you won’t have any demanding children or animals nearby.
Listen completely before responding — don’t be in such a hurry to make your point that you neglect what the other person is saying. Many people are so focused on what they want to say, just waiting for the other person to stop talking. Instead, listen intently to what the person is saying and respond based on that. Be aware of any personal filters or internal distractions, such as preconceived notions or personal concerns that may impact your ability to listen. Take notes so you can ask questions or respond when they are done speaking.
Don’t finish other people’s thoughts — you may think you know what someone is going to say. You don’t, so don’t finish their thoughts. You may actually distract them and fail to get to the initial point. Plus it’s just disrespectful.
Be open-minded — respond to facts, not emotions, even if you are upset by what you’re hearing. This will allow an open culture of communication without fear of someone taking it personally. We also need to remember we have off days and having a nonjudgemental workplace culture increases resiliency. So tuck your emotions away and understand this is necessary to move forward.
Determine what the speaker really means — is the speaker being intentionally obtuse or is he or she implying something else? Get to the bottom of what is really being said. If they’re afraid to say it, someone needs to! Be bold and find out. You could be helping them identify an angle they failed to see or didn’t want to, and reduce wasted time.
Consider using reflective listening techniques — repeat back parts of the speech to convey understanding. Sometimes we don’t realize how vague a sentence may be until we hear another person repeat it. This allows for greater explanation and clearer meaning.
Use leading words — phrases like “I see” or “Tell me more” show that you are listening and helps you get the whole story.
Step into the other person’s shoes — practice empathy and try to understand where he or she is coming from. Doesn’t make them right or wrong, but by doing this you may be able to help solve issues with a different outlook or solution they didn’t see, or achieve greater understanding to help push results.
Avoid unintentional negative body language — this can send the message to the speaker that you’re not really interested in what he or she is saying. You must be receptive to information to make any kind of impact. Also, be aware of their body language. This can tell you a lot about the other person, and the impact the message has.
Miscommunication leads to failure since expectations and other details aren’t necessarily understood. Don’t play a guessing game with your success!