The Power of Listening During Change

Unlock the hidden power of listening to build trust, surface insights and drive successful change.

When organisations go through change, communication often focuses on delivering messages: the why, what, and how of the transformation. But one key ingredient is often overlooked: listening.

Active listening is more than a skill—it’s a strategy for building trust, surfacing concerns, and fostering collaboration. It’s especially crucial during change when uncertainty and resistance are high.

Here’s how active listening can transform your change initiatives and actionable ways to implement it in your team.

1. Listening Builds Trust and Reduces Resistance

In times of change, people are naturally skeptical. They want to know: Does leadership care about my perspective? Will my voice be heard? When you listen, you show respect, empathy, and a commitment to transparency, all of which build trust.

Actionable Steps:

• Start with questions: Before introducing a change, ask questions like, “What do you think works well in our current process?” or “What concerns do you have about changing this approach?”
• Demonstrate follow-through: Acknowledge what you’ve heard and explain how it will—or won’t—affect the decision. For example: “I’ve heard concerns about X, and here’s how we’re addressing it.”

When trust grows, resistance often diminishes because people feel like they’re part of the process instead of being subjected to it.

2. Listening Surfaces Hidden Concerns and Insights

Not all resistance is vocalised directly, especially in group settings. Often, people harbor unspoken fears about how change will affect their roles or workload. Active listening creates a safe environment for surfacing these concerns, allowing you to address them early.

Actionable Steps:

• Use anonymous channels: Set up an online suggestion box or anonymous survey to capture candid feedback.
• Encourage vulnerability: Normalise open discussions by sharing a personal story or admitting areas where leadership is still figuring things out. This creates psychological safety for others to do the same.

Listening isn’t just about uncovering obstacles—it also helps you find unexpected insights that can improve the change process.

Teams on the front lines often have the clearest view of what works and what doesn’t. Tapping into their experience can save time and improve outcomes. Leaders who listen foster collaboration, ensuring solutions are practical and widely supported.

Actionable Steps:

• Host focus groups: Bring together employees from different teams to discuss specific aspects of the change. Ask: “What would make this transition smoother for your role?”
• Create a feedback loop: Regularly update the team on what’s being done with their input. For example: “After our last session, we’ve adjusted the timeline based on your feedback about workload concerns.”

By actively involving your team, you move from “top-down change” to co-creating a shared vision for success.

Quick Listening Boosters to Try This Week

If you want to incorporate more listening into your leadership style right away, try these:

1. The Two-Minute Rule: In your next meeting, spend two minutes at the start asking for feedback or questions. Stay quiet and let the responses flow.
2. Silent Brainstorming: Before discussing a problem as a group, have everyone write down their thoughts individually. Then review the ideas together.
3. Post-Meeting Reflections: End every meeting by asking: “What do you think worked in this discussion? What could we improve?”

Active listening doesn’t just benefit your team—it benefits the entire organisation. It shows you’re invested in their experience, making them more likely to invest in the change.

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