What do you think is the most important aspect of communication?
- Is it to speak very well?
- Having an opinion on everything?
- Responding quickly to questions and immediately understanding what the other person has to say?
- Is it to use your body language perfectly?
None of them!
The most important thing to do is to be a good listener. If you succeed in becoming a better listener, you will be able to provide a better employee experience. Don’t just think of it as an employee experience, listening is a vital communication tool that we should use at almost every moment of life.
How do you become a better listener?
Employees care a lot about being heard. But if everyone speaks at the same time, no one can hear anyone. Listening and understanding is a leadership task. If you want your employees to listen and understand you, you must first succeed in becoming a role model.
How then? Here are 5 important steps:
- Focus on the conversation and do nothing else at that moment. You can be a super manager who does many things at the same time, but it would be a big mistake to deal with different things at the time of communication. Don’t stare at your phone, computer, or the view from the window. Make eye contact.
- Do not interrupt the person speaking, no matter who they are. Learn to hold yourself back.
- Try to understand what your employee really wants. Get down to the root cause. One of the qualities that make you a leader is that you follow the clues correctly.
- Create opportunities for your employees to express their feelings. Ask thoughtful and insightful questions and take interaction to the next level.
- Avoid the word “but”! The word “but” is like a defence flare, it creates the feeling that you are approaching the other person negatively.