The Power of Listening: How We Listen Determines What’s Possible for Others

When it comes to successful team building, the power of listening is often overlooked, especially the critical difference between listening and hearing

Whether you are a real estate team leader or a small business owner, how we listen can make all the difference in how others live for us and what is possible for them.

Let’s explore why understanding, and implementing, the power of listening is so important and what it can do for you and your team.

The Difference Between Listening and Hearing

We often use these two words interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference between listening and hearing. Hearing, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the process, function, or power of perceiving sound; specifically: the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli.”

Listening, on the other hand, requires more than just perception—it requires active engagement with another person, specifically "to pay attention to sound; especially: to hear something with thoughtful consideration or receptive understanding.”

I have no problem hearing my teen say he's done his studying, but what is in my listening is, "you damn well better be", or "or we shall see".

Which of those two, what I hear, or what I listen, determines the quality of my relationship?

100% of the time it's what I listen - and it is the same with our clients or the agents on our team.

We spend very little time examining what is already in our listening when we are speaking to people.

If my son says he's done with his studying, and he's been unreliable in the past for this, there is likely one thing in my listening ("we shall see"), while if he's a straight-A student, my listening will be more generous ("good boy").

Of the two ways of listening, which do you suspect gives my son the biggest opportunity to perform?

Basic self-awareness in our interactions with our team and clients (not to mention our families) goes a long way to expanding what's possible for them.

The Benefits of Active Listening

When we actively listen—not just hear—we open ourselves up to new ideas, perspectives, and solutions that may not have been available before. It gives us an opportunity to gain insight into another person’s thought process without needing to respond immediately or provide any sort of feedback or opinion about what was said.

It also allows us to build trust within our team and create an environment where everyone feels heard and respected.

It's not simply that when people feel like their opinions are valued, they are more likely to be productive, or on the flip side, if individuals feel like their input isn’t being taken into account then they may become disengaged or resentful.

More powerful, but far less obvious, is taking the time to deal with what is already there in our listening.

Understanding the power of active listening can make all the difference in how others live for us and what's possible for them—especially when it comes to building a successful team.

Taking time out of our day-to-day schedule to really listen, including addressing what already lives in our listening about the other (which means not just hearing what someone has to say), will foster deeper relationships and more productivity.

If you'd like to talk about this as it relates to the 3 Leverage Points of Performance, and how to implement this effectively in training your new agents join me for a live Q&A on Jan, 12th , or message me and let's talk.