When employees say that they want their voices to be heard, they are essentially saying that they want leaders who will listen and not just hear them. It is typical, when listening to someone speak, we formulate a reply without fully understanding the message that the speaker is trying to communicate.

"The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people." - Woodrow Wilson

Listening is a full time job. As an effective leader, it involves you being aware of body language, facial ｅxpressions and other natural interactive tendencies. You will know what employees are thinking about considering the uncertainty in an organization with on-going changes. Leaders must become more mindful of individual needs in order to successfully inspire professional development and overall performance.

"No man ever listened himself out of a job." - Calvin Coolidge

Listening should be one of the most important skills in your leadership role. Its not the same as hearing, it requires focus to accurately receive and interpret the messages in the communication process.

For instance, listening skills can lead to: better client satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer errors, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work.

Here are a few listening facts that will really make you think about the importance of effective listening.

  • 85% of what we know we have learned through listening
  • Humans generally listen at a 25% comprehension rate
  • In a typical business day, we spend 45% of our time listening, 30% of our time talking, 16% reading and 9% writing
  • Less than 2% of all professionals have had formal education or learning to understand and improve listening skills and techniques

How well you listen determines the quality of your relationship with your employees or colleagues. They will know you have their best interests at heart because you truly listen.

To be a more effective listener, you can also learn more from the International Listening Association.