Want to Create a Better Work Environment? Start by Listening to Your Employees.

Larry King once said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

Many people in leadership positions spend too much time talking and not enough time listening to their employees. And yet listening is such a simple (not easy) practice that echoes countless positive effects throughout an organization. Here are just a few:

They feel more engaged in their work.

According to a recent Gallup poll, employee engagement declined last year for the first time in a decade, with just over one-third of employees reporting feeling fully engaged in their work. This may come as no surprise, considering we’re just coming off the heels of the pandemic, and many businesses have experienced a shift to either hybrid or fully remote office models. But regardless of where your employees complete their duties, as a manager or leader, it’s scary to think that only 33% of them feel engaged.

So ask the right questions (Do you feel supported in your role? Are there things your leadership team can do to help you be successful in your work?) and actively listen to their responses to boost engagement. Provide regular opportunities for your workers to share their ideas and speak out through consistent meetings or forums. Encourage honest, constructive feedback through anonymous surveys. Opening this dialogue will benefit everyone since, according to the Washington Post, “Companies with the highest ‘sustainable engagement’ scores had an average one-year operating margin of 27%.”

They feel more connected.

Think back to your crowded college lecture halls; you know, the ones packed with students checking a gen-ed requirement off their list where the professor droned on for an hour without turning away from the blackboard. Did you feel connected to the subject, the teacher, or anyone else in the room? Of course not! So imagine how disconnected your direct reports feel when all you do is talk at them rather than with them.

Listening builds trust, which increases job satisfaction and ultimately leads to greater retention. And no job can be successfully completed in a vacuum, so it’s important to encourage listening amongst leadership and throughout the organization in general to build a more collaborative work environment.

They are more productive and efficient.

The bottom line is that employees who feel listened to are more motivated to do their best work possible for the organization. When leaders aim to listen, they are able to get to the essence of what is needed much more quickly: no runaround or red tape - just results. So instead of investing in fancy new equipment or flashy benefits, start at the human core of the business and listen to your employees.

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