UCL School of Management Associate Professor Colin Fisher has written an article for Harvard Business Review exploring the significance of listening in the workplace. Co-authored alongside Jeffrey Yip, an Assistant Professor of Management at Simon Fraser University, the article specifically addresses the organisational need for managers to be effective listeners in order to improve employee performance at work and increase productivity.
Citing recent incidents at Google and Activision Blizzard that saw employees walkout due to repeated refusal for managers to listen and respond to valid concerns, the authors note that even the most well-intentioned leaders can often become poor listeners. Colin and Jeffrey describe listening as an intentional activity that requires empathy and patience, and after conducting a review of 117 academic papers, they identify five inhibitors to effective listening: haste, defensiveness, invisibility, exhaustion and inaction.
Advising against haste, the article highlights the need to set aside adequate, distraction-free time for conversations. This encourages open communication that leaves managers with adequate time to listen and respond to concerns while avoiding minimisation. Additionally, while acknowledging defensiveness as a natural, knee-jerk reaction, Colin and Jeffrey suggest that leaders should calm their emotions and seeking to understand the other party’s intentions before responding. Ultimately, the article encourages listening and understanding before responding.
Invisibility can often be a threat to effective listening in management. According to the authors, invisibility is common but often unintentional: “Sometimes organisational leaders are working behind the scenes to fix problems identified in town halls or staff surveys but fail to broadcast those efforts to employees. Our managers are indeed hearing and understanding their employees but not providing any visible signs of engagement.’
To counteract this, managers should make efforts to be more communicative and transparent and consider revising their body language to appear more receptive. In addition, Colin and Jeffrey note the significance of management exhaustion in effective listening. Citing research from Christopher Rosen, the authors note that managers who listen to too many complaints become increasingly worn down and mistreat their subordinates. To avoid this, managers should set clear boundaries.
Finally, concluding with inaction as the most destructive inhibitor to effective listening, the authors cite Google’s slow response to concerns surrounding sexual harassment which led to a walkout of 20,000 employees. Affirming conversations, identifying next steps, agreeing timelines and ensuring managerial transparency are key to avoiding the effects of inaction on listening in the workplace.
Read the full article via the Harvard Business Review website
