Why listening is not a passive act!

The average person spends 30% of their life working. (Reference, 2016)

As this is such a significant amount of one’s time, it is important that managers, leaders & employees themselves recognise the importance of being attuned to others in the workplace. 

If you are a manager in a huge company you may be forgiven for thinking “being attuned to employees in the workplace won’t help me reach my monthly targets”. But, you are in fact incorrect.  Organisations which are in tune with employee well-being boast of “increased productivity, improved morale, more motivated employees, improved company profile and enhanced ability to attract employees.” (MyMind, 2016)

“Workplace satisfaction matters more than monetary compensation and work-life balance is often considered essential.” (WhatIs.com, 2016) This statement about the millennial generation certainly rings true. Having gone through some huge transitions in my personal life, as well as a change in jobs around the same time this year, it  makes all the difference when you feel supported by your managers, leaders and fellow colleagues. Being part of a team which supports me not only in carrying out my day to day tasks, but also where I feel I have trustworthy relationships with colleagues is hugely important. Going forward I can only see myself seeking work in organisations which place emphasis on employee engagement and well-being. 

Work place well-being, employee engagement, positive mental health… these are all terms which we come across every single day. But what do they actually mean? How can one help their employees feel supported and listened to?

A technique called Active Listening is an invaluable tool to help you get started. Active listening requires being completely present for the person you are listening to. So drop that phone, close your diary, refrain from glancing at your computer screen and pay attention to the following tips!

• The process of actively listening to someone can be time boundaried. This may strike you as strange- if someone is distressed and I am only offering them 10 minutes of my time, can I really help them? YOU CAN! Firstly, keep to their agenda and do not allow your own thoughts or past experiences to creep into the conversation.
• Practise keeping comfortable eye contact. This is something many of us struggle with as it may seem awkward or embarrassing. In fact it is an underutilised communication technique. It can often feel that if someone is not looking at you they are not listening. So steady but not over the top eye contact is important.
• Your conversation partner should be speaking 80% of the time, and you 20% of the time. (Bakercommunications.com, 2016) You should aim to be respectful and enable the speaker to provide insights. 
• Do not be afraid to ask questions. These are useful to clarify and ensure you understand what the person is saying to you. Reflecting back content and feelings allows someone to feel listened to and affirmed.

These tips are just a few of many which I picked up from attending AgEisteacht4Business’ course back in May. To help kick start your organisation’s ‘new year, new you’ mantra why not attend our next course on January 25th in the Castletroy Park hotel in Limerick? Declan and Bernie guarantee a wonderful, interactive learning experience in a small group, and you will learn skills which can be utilised in both professional and personal settings.

For more information please visit our website or contact Thérèse or myself in the office on 021 5005915. Declan is also happy to answer queries via email [email protected] or mobile 087 6880618.

Bibliography:

Bakercommunications.com. (2016). The 80/20 Rule of ActiveListening. [online] Available at: http://www.bakercommunications.com/newsletter/articles/sales120108.htm [Accessed 7 Dec. 2016]

MyMind. (2016). MyMind at Work – MyMind. [online] Available at: https://mymind.org/about/mymind-at-work/?gclid=COXU5MG13dACFeGT7Qod8ecNsA [Accessed 7 Dec. 2016]

Reference. (2016). What percentage of our lives are spent working?. [online] Available at: https://www.reference.com/math/percentage-lives-spent-working-599e3f7fb2c88fca [Accessed 7 Dec. 2016]

WhatIs.com. (2016). What is Millennials (Millennial generation)? – Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] Available at: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/millennials-millennial-generation [Accessed 7 Dec. 2016]