Imagine a situation when your team member is struggling at work, and finally finds some time to speak with you. How would you react? How would they feel if you were not listening attentively? If you are on your phone, avoid eye contact, and don’t care about what they are saying, it might cause them to be less engaged in the work, which leads to a lack of motivation. This is when the power of active listening becomes evident. While active listening is essential for everyone, it is crucial for leaders. Leaders can build trust, encourage collaboration, and achieve team success just by having their ears wide open.
Research by Shana Y. Patrick on the perception of active listening skills in the workplace highlights that effective communication, including active listening, is vital for reducing misunderstandings in the workplace and impacting team productivity (Patrick, 2022). So, what is active listening and how can we achieve it? We will analyze the components of Active Listening through the Chinese Character '聽'.
The Chinese character for ‘to listen’ is '聽' (tīng). It has several parts, and together they convey the full meaning of listening. Each element contains valuable meanings for how to be a good listener. Now, we will divide this into three big parts.
1. Listen with King's Ears
For the first element, on the left side of the character, we can see '耳 (Ears)' and '王 (King, Respect)' combined, which can be interpreted as 'King's Ears'. People in leadership positions, like kings, must always be respectful and ready to listen. Just as it is difficult for a country to survive if the king's ears are closed, it is important to listen and value what your team members try to say.
Leadership Insights:
Acknowledge the speaker's feelings and validate their experience.
Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns.
Be open to different viewpoints and avoid being judgmental.
2. Listen with Ten Eyes
On the right half, we can see '十 (Ten, Complete)' and '目 (Eyes)', which represent the broader perspective that you can get while listening with ten eyes. It means always seeing the person who is having the conversation with. People might easily overlook this, but non-verbal elements play a huge part in communication. To accurately understand the other person's intentions, it is important to look at and read their facial expressions. Otherwise, it is easy to miss small details such as changes in their mood or expression.
Leadership Insights:
Pay attention to body language and facial expressions that may indicate underlying emotions or stress.
Encourage open body language and mirror the speaker to build rapport.
Use eye contact to convey attentiveness.
3. Listen with One Heart
Last but not least, '一 (One)' and '心 (Heart)' convey listening with one heart to understand deeply. By listening with emphathy, this form of listening allows the speaker to share ideas and concern freely. Be all ears while you listen. This will help leaders to connect with their team members, building trust and loyalty.
Leadership Insights:
Practice mindful listening by focusing on the here and now.
Reflect back what the speaker has said to ensure understanding.
Encourage focused discussions and minimize distractions.
“Of all the skills of leadership, listening is the most valuable — and one of the least understood. Most captains of industry listen only sometimes, and they remain ordinary leaders. But a few, the great ones, never stop listening. That's how they get word before anyone else of unseen problems and opportunities.”
Peter Nulty, Fortune Magazine
Active Listening is one of the key elements of leadership. It helps leaders navigate the world of human interaction, build trust among team members, and make their team productive.
Now, think about the situation that we imagined earlier and take a moment to ask yourself.
Am I listening to the team?
Reflect on your listening skills and always try to follow the three lessons that we learned from '聽'.
Patrick, S. Y. (2022). Perception of workplace active listening skills in relationship to workplace productivity (Doctoral dissertation, University of Phoenix). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
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