Episode Details

Episode 235 - How To Help Your Team Feel Heard

Summary

Most leaders understand the importance of listening, but far fewer understand what great listening actually looks like. Discover the research behind high-quality listening and why helping people feel genuinely heard can improve trust, engagement, wellbeing, and retention.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 235 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore the research behind high-quality listening and why helping people feel genuinely heard can improve trust, engagement, wellbeing, and retention.

Most leaders would agree that listening is important. In fact, if you ask people to describe the best leaders they've worked with, listening often appears near the top of the list. And yet, listening is one of those skills that can be easy to talk about and surprisingly difficult to do well.

Part of the challenge is that we often think of listening as a communication technique. We focus on maintaining eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing, and asking questions. While those behaviours can be helpful, research suggests that what matters most is whether the other person genuinely feels heard and understood. What we're after instead is high-quality listening.

Researchers who reviewed more than two decades of listening research identified three key elements of high-quality listening. First, giving someone your full attention. Second, genuinely seeking to understand what they mean, not just the words they're saying. And third, approaching the conversation with openness and curiosity rather than judgement.

When people experience this type of listening they become less defensive, more reflective, and more willing to share information and ideas. In other words, good listening doesn't just help people feel better - it changes the quality of the conversation itself.

Other recent research has also found that improving listening skills as a leader can reduce burnout and decrease people's intentions to leave an organisation. That's a useful reminder that listening can have a meaningful impact on wellbeing, engagement, and retention.

So what can leaders do?

First, focus on understanding before solving. Many leaders hear a problem and immediately jump to advice or solutions. Instead, try asking a question that checks your understanding. Something like, "So if I've understood correctly, the real challenge is…" This not only helps clarify the issue, it also demonstrates that you've genuinely been listening.

Second, remove distractions whenever possible. If you're having an important conversation, put your phone away, close unnecessary applications, and give the other person your full attention. People notice very quickly when you're only partially present, and it often changes what they're willing to share.

Third, become more comfortable with silence. Most of us feel pressure to respond immediately. Yet some of the most valuable insights emerge after a pause. When someone finishes speaking, resist the urge to jump in straight away. Give them a little space. You may find there's more they want to say.

Remember that listening isn't just about gathering information - it's about helping people feel understood. And when people feel understood, they're more likely to trust, engage, contribute, and collaborate. As leaders, one of the most valuable things we can offer isn't a solution or an answer. Sometimes it's simply our full attention.

Research references:

Kluger, A. N., & Itzchakov, G. (2022). The Power of Listening at Work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology an