For most animals, hearing is vital to survival. Humans could learn from their feathered friends & be much more successful at both work & home.

Over the summer, I learned something new about cardinals after capturing a photograph of one in my yard. I was previously unaware that cardinals shed their feathers, albeit not all at once or in one specific location. Upon closer examination, I discovered that sometimes, male cardinals can be observed with a peculiar and bald appearance. However, what particularly fascinated me was the size of their ear structure when looking at the photos of the adult cardinal and its cute and hungry offspring. Unlike humans, birds heavily rely on their sense of hearing for survival, and my exploration into cardinal behavior revealed their mastery of communication, primarily dependent on their auditory capabilities. Unfortunately, humans often fall short in the realm of listening, despite possessing similarly large ears.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine from the industry reached out to discuss his company's recent loss of key employees. This conversation prompted me to reflect on how this situation could have been prevented and how attentive listening plays a vital role in employee satisfaction and the retention of valuable team members. While I understand that my friend is occupied with maintaining stability in his team and managing his own workload, there is no task more important than making time to genuinely listen and address the concerns and anxieties of those you are responsible for.

In our daily lives, and particularly in the workplace, most prioritize visual stimuli over auditory information. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a conversation with a manager or colleague, only to observe them fiddling with their phone, attending to their emails, or, regrettably, yawning? I have personally witnessed all three scenarios, and I am certain that you have encountered them as well. These behaviors indicate a person who may seem to be listening, but is not truly engaged. Active listening is a skill that requires effort. Simply listening to respond is insufficient, especially when managing a team. One must actively listen to both the spoken and unspoken messages being conveyed. Yes, this takes effort!

I must admit that I have not always excelled in the area of listening, and I continue to work on improving this skill every day. During my undergraduate education, I had the privilege of taking classes taught by an exceptional communicator and conflict mediation expert. She imparted upon me the art of listening and its application in both my personal and professional life. Like any skill, mastering active listening takes time and continuous practice. With the numerous distractions present in today's world, it is essential to focus more on understanding what individuals are genuinely expressing.

One aspect that I take pride in and attribute to effective listening is my ability to proactively manage large groups of individuals without being caught off guard. Having a keen awareness of what is happening within your team begins with utilizing those big things located on the sides of one's face. When a manager practices active listening, surprises such as sudden resignations, low team engagement, and poor job satisfaction scores can be significantly reduced, while cultivating long-term and productive team members.

The pandemic compelled many of us to prioritize regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with teammates, even more so than when we were physically present in the office. Although my team previously expressed limited need for scheduled meetings before the pandemic (though I now recognize that I could have been more proactive), we would frequently engage in multiple conversations throughout the day. I had one team member who would routinely visit my office for their daily venting and counseling session. Each day, as they left my office, I would witness the relief on their face. It became evident that they needed me to listen, regardless of my ability to resolve all their issues. Being heard and, more importantly, understood, significantly contributes to job satisfaction. As managers, we may not always possess immediate solutions to every problem, but we can actively listen and provide our understanding. Alongside this, we must utilize the knowledge obtained from active listening to work towards resolving the issues at hand. Demonstrating empathy towards those on the front lines and having a thorough understanding of their needs is crucial.

Based on personal experience and the success stories of others, I would like to offer a few recommendations. Dedicate time to engaging in weekly one-on-one meetings with each of your direct reports. Occasionally, these meetings can also involve meeting with their subordinates individually, as well. Ensure that you commit to these meetings, avoiding frequent rescheduling, come prepared with follow-ups from previous discussions, and create an environment where you can set aside distractions such as emails and phones to actively listen. These meetings may focus entirely on business matters, or personal topics may also be weaved in. Employees have lives outside of work, which greatly influence their professional performance. It is imperative to never forget or dismiss this fact. Consistency with these meetings is key. Given time, employees will anticipate and appreciate these sessions, and over a short period, you will witness positive changes not just within your direct reports, but throughout the entire team culture.

Perhaps, in my photograph showcasing the hungry baby cardinal, there lies a final lesson for all of us. This emotional nourishment begins with attentive listening. Similar to how the Cardinal hears the faint chirp of its newborns and responds with nourishment, one of our paramount duties as managers or colleagues is to attentively listen to our team members and provide them with our time, trust, understanding, and solutions whenever feasible. And when unable to provide solutions, sometimes one can simply offer the gift of being a supportive listener. Try it. You will be surprised how far it can go.

#activelistening #listeningtohelpothers #management #leadershipdevelopment #employeeretention

About the author:

Jason Herman is a 23-year veteran in the remarketing and automotive finance world and an avid car enthusiast. Having managed bank and fleet lease end operations, 1st?and 3rd?party remarketing, residual value setting & risk mitigation, and the sale of well over 1 million off lease & repossessed vehicles in his career, he enjoys providing guidance and expertise to both those new to and experienced in the automotive finance industry, as well as helping end consumers purchase or sell vehicles. Should he able to help, Jason can be reached at?[email protected] .?

Please check out my automotive finance & car buying blog: https://www.carguy4u.com/car-buying-and-auto-finance-blog