Lindsay Tighe from Empowered Conversations recently weighed in on an article about deep listening in the workplace. The blog post shares some valuable tips regarding active listening or listening to understand rather than listening to respond. Deep listening goes a step further, and the blog post talks about what exactly deep listening is and why it is so important in the workplace. Tighe provides valuable insight, and anyone can peruse her thoughts on the subject for free.
“They say good listeners are like trampolines — you bounce your ideas off of them,” says the blog post. “Namely, attentive listeners are not supposed to simply absorb the speaker’s words, like sponges, but rather reflect them, to deepen their understanding of what’s being said. So, be honest: are you a sponge or a trampoline? Whatever your answer may be, the truth is, even the best listeners among us could use some improvement. To put it another way, we should all strive for deep listening.“
Deep listening is defined as listening with the intention of understanding the speaker’s perspective. This means paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues while listening in order to understand what the intention behind the speaker’s words is. This calls upon the listener to reserve judgment and instead be open to receiving new information from the speaker. Deep listening requires openness to the unfamiliar and a commitment to avoiding judging or trying to understand the reasoning. Deep listening differs from active listening in the amount of attention paid to oneself versus their conversational partner. The listener does not simply absorb words, they grasp the facts that are being shared with them and thus the listener is better able to help the speaker with whatever they may be talking about.
The article also explains how to engage in deep listening in the workplace. According to a study, nearly half of respondents expressed a preference for giving practical advice over taking the time to understand their employees. Nearly 20% said that they could learn to be better listeners. The practice has a number of benefits, the most important of which is the fact that deep listening helps to resolve conflicts. Deep listening is closely related to silence, which allows the listener to understand the speaker and thus respond better. It also helps to build trust as speakers feel they are better understood by listeners.
Deep listening also improves collaboration. Different teams need to collaborate and communicate effectively for an organization to run which is why it is so important to practice deep listening whenever possible. When it comes to enabling positive emotions through deep listening, Tighe comments that, “Enabling these positive emotions leads to people feeling more motivated and engaged, and we know that this will create higher levels of productivity and performance. This level of listening also enables deeper and better relationships, which are critical to creating a positive workplace culture.”
Anthony Martin, another contributor to the article, says about deep listening, “When leaders model deep listening, they create a culture of respect and collaboration for the entire organization. Deep listening leads to self-awareness and growth and helps overcome the blockers that stop the work from getting done. When an entire company practices deep listening, they are much more engaged and productive in their work and feel seen and respected. Taking the time to really listen to employees and co-workers will make your business more collaborative and successful.”
Deep listening is an incredibly powerful communication tool that can greatly improve workplace relations. It is possible to learn how to practice both active and deep listening in the workplace through some of the workshops by Empowered Conversations. They hold workshops where they teach people to communicate more effectively, both by teaching them to be better listeners and teaching them to be better speakers.
For more information on deep listening, workplace communication and more, interested parties may read the Pumble blog post. They may also visit Empowered Conversations’ website to learn how to take part in one of their communication workshops.
