A Leader’s Guide to Active Listening

A Leader’s Guide to Active Listening

Insight from Harvard Business Review

Want to keep your best people? Start by actually hearing them. 

Listening is more than just staying quiet while someone else talks. 

Active listening has three key pieces: the cognitive (actually processing what's being said), the emotional (staying calm and compassionate), and the behavioral (showing you're engaged).

Here's are some tips we’ve gathered on how to nail all three in your one-on-ones:

1. First, minimize the distractions. Close Slack, and turn off your phone. Don’t try to multitask. Your reports can tell when you're scanning email - trust me.
   

2. After your team member makes an important point, repeat their last few words back to them. It sounds simple (maybe even a bit corny), but it works better than paraphrasing. It shows you're tracking, gives them space to elaborate, and helps you stay focused instead of planning your response while they're still talking.
   

3. Perhaps most importantly, watch for what's not being said. Pay attention to tone, facial expressions, and body language - that's usually where the real message lives. 

If you're not sure? Ask more questions than you think you need to. 

Nobody ever quit because their boss was too interested in their thoughts 🤝