The Power of Active Listening 

This picture is one of the most impactful that I have ever seen! Here’s the story…Active listening can reduce conflicts by up to 40% and increase productivity by up to 30%. How aware are you of what this actually means?  
 
When I was first coached as a leader, a key topic I worked on with my coach was active listening. To remind me of its value, I found this picture and hung it on the wall in my office. The picture was taken of this 2-year-old boy, who was born deaf, at the very moment he heard his first sound. The message speaks for itself! We are blessed to be able to hear! But how much are we actually listening to each other? Studies show that poor listening habits affect more than 70% of employees. ACTIVE listening is important! 
 
There are many definitions of active listening. The one that stuck with me most is: to truly understand what someone is saying – both in their messaging and in their presence. For me, this requires factoring myself out of the equation, and to stop figuring out what the smart thing is that I can say back that makes me look smart to the other person once I respond to what they have said. I believe that this is what most people do most of the time when “listening”. Factoring yourself out of the equation is step 1. Don’t listen to respond! Then it’s about picking up body language and tone of voice as well. I’ve seen studies saying that 55% of communication comes from body language, and 38% from tone of voice. Words only account for 7%. 
 
How to then demonstrate that you are listening actively? Some examples: 
– Responding to what is being said, and how, in a reflective manner. It’s not about you! 
– Let the speaker finish 
– Paraphrase 
– Defer judgement 
– Ask open-ended questions, inviting true deeper understanding. 
 
The value lies in picking up far more information and being able to act on that, and changing the way you come across, inviting a much deeper engagement. 
 
Picking up on the non-spoken word is even more crucial when communicating with low context cultures. As a Dutchman, this was a steep learning curve for me.  
 
90% of top performers rate active listening as a critical skill.  
What are your thoughts on this topic? 

“This picture is one of the most impactful that I have ever seen! Here’s the story…Active listening can reduce conflicts by up to 40% and increase productivity by up to 30%. How aware are you of what this actually means?“.