Do you listen well?

Do you listen well? If so, do you do any of these 4?

1. Listen in order to have your turn to speak.

2. Get preoccupied with your own thoughts or other activities.

3. Interrupt or complete someone's sentences.

4. Ignoring nonverbal cues (body language, tone of voice) that may convey additional meaning.

I know I’ve been guilty of it at times, and it’s a continual watch for/work in progress.

Listening well is key to great leadership. It’s also key to being a good human in all areas of your life. Listening to your partner, your kids, your friends etc

Active listening goes beyond merely hearing the words spoken; it's about being fully present, truly comprehending the message, asking thoughtful questions, and offering empathetic feedback.

It’s also about ensuring that you have the time to be present and listen, and therefore an alternative time (soon) may need to be agreed on.

An active listener would:

✅ Create an environment (and time) to be fully present. Maybe an outside walk & talk.

✅ Focus without distractions (e.g. phone or laptop).

✅ Maintain eye contact, nod, and use verbal cues like "I see" or "Tell me more" to encourage them to continue.

✅ Ask open-ended questions to understand the root cause of the problem, like "What specific challenges are you facing with [challenge they mentioned]".

✅ Reflect on what has been shared by paraphrasing. Do this to make sure you understand, rather than parroting what’s said.

✅ Complete by checking in that the conversation was helpful/productive or that the question has been answered

Active listening fosters deeper connection, understanding and trust. It creates respect, collaboration and stronger working relationships.

It takes time and committed effort to go beyond to really listen, but when you do it changes everything.

What else would you add is key to listening well?

How have you worked on listening in your leadership journey?