Skill gaps are a common challenge for any team, especially in dynamic and competitive environments. They can affect the quality, efficiency, and morale of your team, and hinder your ability to achieve your goals. How can you use active listening to address team skill gaps and improve your team motivation?
Active listening is a communication skill that involves paying attention, showing interest, and providing feedback to the speaker. It helps you to understand the message, the emotions, and the needs of the speaker, and to respond appropriately. Active listening can enhance your team motivation by building trust, respect, and rapport among team members, and by creating a positive and supportive atmosphere.
One of the benefits of active listening is that it can help you to identify the skill gaps of your team members. By asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing, summarizing, and clarifying, you can elicit more information and insights from your team members about their strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and goals. You can also use active listening to observe the non-verbal cues, such as body language, tone, and facial expressions, that can indicate the level of confidence, competence, and satisfaction of your team members.
You’ll create open communication for people to feel safe enough to seek support on areas that are stressing them. It’s not about them on the spot trying to figure out if they are competent or not, it’s about collaboration and upskilling/reskilling
Colleagues often mask skillset gaps as they are seen as a weakness. Being brave enough to identify your own gaps and seek out guidance openly, will drive a culture whereby seeking help is encouraged.
Active Listening "Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge." - Simon Sinek Daily Routine: Practice focused listening in conversations. Analogy: Understanding is the key to connection. ??
Once you have identified the skill gaps of your team members, you can use active listening to address them in a constructive and respectful way. You can use active listening to acknowledge the achievements, efforts, and potential of your team members, and to provide constructive feedback and guidance. You can also use active listening to encourage your team members to share their ideas, opinions, and suggestions, and to collaborate and learn from each other. You can also use active listening to empower your team members to take ownership of their skill development, and to support them with resources, tools, and opportunities.
There are many techniques and tools that can help you to improve your active listening skills and to apply them to address team skill gaps. The SOLER model, for example, encourages demonstrating interest and attention through body language. The RASA model is another option that helps to engage with the speaker and show understanding. Additionally, the LARA model provides feedback and guidance, while the STAR model structures feedback and guidance in a clear way that links to desired outcomes. Finally, the GROW model assists in coaching team members to develop their skills and reach their goals.
Active listening is a skill that requires practice and improvement. To do this, you can seek feedback from team members, peers, or mentors, reflect on your conversations and interactions with team members, observe and learn from other leaders or role models who demonstrate effective active listening skills, and seek opportunities to practice your active listening skills with your team members. Taking the time to do these things can help you address team skill gaps and improve team motivation. It can also enhance your communication, understanding, and relationship with your team members, allowing them to reach their full potential.
Instead of thinking about what you are going to say next ask them questions. Check in by summarising what they said in a few words. Even if you do this and got the point of their story wrong they will correct you and you will be in the same page again so a win, win.