How can you benefit from being a good listener in the workplace?

You show someone they matter when you really listen to them. This builds trust, makes relationships stronger,and makes the workplace more helpful and collaborative. You can learn new things, gain new insights and keep learning and changing by listening to people with different backgrounds and points of view. Active listening makes sure you fully understand directions, feedback and requests, which helps clear up any confusion and improves communication. By paying close attention, you make it safe for coworkers to share their thoughts, worries and ideas. This can help your team be more creative, come up with new ideas and feel like they own what they're doing.

It's very important to focus & hear what people are talking to you about & be present in a conversation. Making contributions to a conversations is rather difficult if you aren't hearing what is being said. It is also quite remarkable to watch people's faces when they realize they are having a conversation with someone that is truly listening to them. Most people are used to talking to people that don't really listen. So when it happens they are shocked. I get chuckle inside when it happens.

I follow the Golden Rule - Treat others as you wish to be treated. I use active listening skills, let the person get any emotion needed out and do not judge regardless of what is being said or the emotion being displayed. The person coming to me to talk is choosing me to talk to for a reason and I respect & honor that as much as the choice the person made to come to me. So it is important to keep all of that in mind when being empathetic during a conversation. In addition, I acknowledge how the person is feeling & how it's ok and I am not judging any of it. For me it is about creating a safe, understanding and respectful environment where the person is comfortable to speak freely.

Think about what you hear, pick out the most important points and ask questions to make sure you fully understand. It's not enough to just believe what you hear. Think about possible biases, hidden goals and other points of view. Look over the information given, find any mistakes in logic and tell the difference between fact and opinion. To get a better sense of what's going on, look for patterns and connections between the different pieces of material. Share your critical analysis in a polite way and make ideas for how to make things better without putting down the speaker.

Critical listening is more than hearing words; it's an analysis and evaluation of logic, credibility, and relevance. In the spheres of strategic leadership and political negotiation, this skill is invaluable. Begin by pinpointing the speaker's primary intent. Is their evidence factual, current, unbiased? Contrast their viewpoints with others, examining how it aligns or diverges from established knowledge. This is not just about agreement or disagreement, but about nurturing an informed, objective perspective. As you develop this skill, you'll find yourself better equipped to navigate complex discussions, enhance decision-making, and strengthen your influence as a leader.

Allow unusual thoughts and ideas to enter your mind, even if they are different from your own. The way someone talks, moves and looks can reveal hidden messages and lead to creative interpretations. Get people to come up with ideas in an open and fun way. Use ideas that are already out there and mix ideas that don't seem to go together to come up with new ones. Do not be afraid to question accepted rules and look for non traditional answers. To get more creative ideas, listen to what people from different fields and backgrounds have to say.

Receiving feedback isn't always a positive experience. Often times people will receive it, but not hear it, because they aren't able to accept it or make changes. To me, a person would need to first be ready to make changes and be ready to accept and receive the feedback. Then, at that point, a person could grow by making the changes or behavior adjustments. This type of feedback is never easy, certainly not for me, but I have grown to learn that being open to accepting it and appreciating it only benefits me in all aspects of my life.

Additionally, I would like to rephrase the question prompt. Do you always need to benefit from showing a certain behavior, or do some actions rather follow along the lines of acts of kindness? Truly listening to others and making them feel heard is not only a crucial leadership skill but also foundational to building trust and ultimately strong relationships.

Close any tabs that aren't needed and pay attention to the speaker. Keep eye contact, nod every so often and use body language that is positive. Do not talk over them, but instead ask questions that show you are interested and lead to more discussion. This makes sure you understand, shows the speaker you're paying attention and finds any possible mistakes. Active listening is shown by what you do with the knowledge you've been given.