Are You Really a Good Listener?

Research has shown that when employees feel heard, their engagement rises and their performance improves, delivering big benefits to their firms. Yet 117 studies on workplace listening reveal that many managers aren't good listeners. Why? Because listening is mentally taxing and demands empathy and patience. This article describes the five common causes of poor listening and explains ways to counter each. The first pitfall is haste. To avoid it, set aside distraction-free time for conversations, ask clarifying questions, seek more details, and plan follow-up discussions. The second pitfall is defensiveness. When you experience this, you need to calm your emotions, buy yourself time by restating what you've heard, and get more information before responding. The third pitfall is invisibility-not showing that you're listening. So demonstrate that you are with body language and verbal cues and by summarizing what people have told you. The fourth pitfall is exhaustion, which prevents leaders from engaging productively. Setting clear boundaries and acknowledging your limits will help you address this problem. The last pitfall is inaction. The fix here is to always close the loop: Before ending a conversation, affirm what you've heard, identify next steps, and agree on a timeline for checking back in.