Talk less, listen more

“Talk less,” is sometimes the best communications advice you can give your organization’s managers. 

(Luckily, your own top-notch communications skills will allow you to say it to them more gently than that.) 

That’s why when WordsFresh develops toolkits for helping managers communicate with their teams, we often include notes on how managers can better listen. 

Ooh, listening! Now that’s an idea nearly as groundbreaking as wearing florals in springtime.  

Your comms team knows how important it is for managers to listen to their teams, especially: 

• Following layoffs, when employees feel vulnerable or uncertain 

• When the company has been through a challenge or crisis, like a data breach or PR issue 

• You’re in a high-growth period and employees are overwhelmed and stressed

Obviously, listening matters in any event that affects the bottom line.

So, why don’t more managers listen?

Surprisingly, many managers don’t feel confident communicating with their teams. 

They may not have received management training; they’re nervous about receiving negative feedback. They may be so focused on productivity and performance metrics, they think they don’t have time.  

But it’s important for employees to be heard. According to a 2021 AllVoices report, 41% of workers surveyed say they’ve left a job because they didn’t feel listened to.

And, when there are problems to be solved, front-line workers are often the ones best able to give intelligent input on exactly what’s working and what isn’t. 

We promise, listening can provide tangible results in both productivity and innovation.  

Not to mention, it makes your comms work of change management infinitely easier.

High-five for working smarter.

Let’s make it easy

The idea of asking your managers to hold structured “listening sessions” might lead to some intense bouts of eye-rolling. (Yours or theirs.) 

But we speak from experience working with Fortune 500 companies. Done correctly, a listening session can be a powerful tool that benefits everyone. And it doesn’t have to be too terribly touchy-feely.  

Some advance planning is needed for a successful listening session, along with a few ground rules. But the most important part is that managers are actually listening. 

Not thinking about how they’re going to respond. (They aren’t going to.) 

Not thinking about lunch. (You can serve snacks, if you want.) 

Not hurriedly taking notes. (You’ll arrange for a designated note-taker.) 

Let’s do this thing

Even though managers won’t be doing a lot of speaking, there’s some advance planning that goes into making a listening session worthwhile.  

We suggest they: 

• Set expectations for each session.
  Let team members know in advance the “why” behind the session. Give them a prior heads up whether the plan is to get feedback on recent company changes, air their overall concerns or brainstorm new ideas. When you state a clear purpose, the discussion will be focused and productive. 

• Choose a neutral location.
  Not the manager’s office, obviously. Choose a quiet, comfortable area; off-site is best. People are more likely to open up in a space where the conversation can remain confidential. Plan for an hour or 90 minutes of listening.  

• Assign a note-taker.
  The manager furiously scribbling notes will unalive the vibe of the room in a heartbeat.  

• Prepare a list of open-ended questions.
  If managers ask questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” those are all the answers they’ll get. Instead, they should try something like, “What’s one thing leaders could do differently to better support you and your team?” Or they can encourage everyone to share one example of something that’s going well – and a suggestion for one that could be improved. 

A few more tips for success

Leaders are used to being heard. But remind them that in a listening session, they are the ones who need to be on the receiving end of communications. 

• The leader should plan to listen for 80 – 90% of the time. And then listen without interruption. They’re not supposed to respond, even if they’re already planning to launch an initiative that will address virtually all of their team’s concerns. 

• Active listening is key. Managers aren’t talking, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t engaged. They should be sure to maintain eye contact, nod and give feedback that shows they understand.  

• It’s important to make sure everyone has a chance to speak – but don’t make it weird. That means going around the room one by one, or encouraging members by name, if they look like they have something to share. But never hound anyone who doesn’t want to speak.  

At the end, it’s important to thank everyone for taking part. And let them know they’ll hear about next steps.

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over

OK, it’s over. But there’s still work to be done. 

Immediately after the listening session, the manager should compile notes and identify themes of concerns.  

Issues should be prioritized. Then a plan can be made for how the leadership team will address them.  

A week or so later, everyone who attended should receive a thank-you note…along with an outline of what managers intend to do with the issues they raised.  

This is the point where any relevant strategic initiatives that are already in the works can be shared. And if we didn’t make it clear earlier, the whole point of a listening session is acting on the information participants share. 

Listening sessions may not solve everything overnight. And they’re just one part of a complete manager’s toolkit.

But when managers show up ready to listen, they’ll build a foundation for meaningful change…and see why sometimes silence can really be golden.