What if we practiced active listening for better collaboration?

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During a conversation, we hear what the other person is saying, but are we really listening? Did you know that between what we say, what we think we said, what the other person hears, and what they actually understand, there can be an 80% loss of meaning in the message?

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This must have happened to you at work before: some time after a meeting, you feel like you didn't understand the same things as your coworkers.

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Furthermore, during a conversation, the person we are talking to may not necessarily be expecting advice or a solution from us. They may simply need to be listened to. In fact, it is often more helpful to feel that someone is really listening to us than to hear about someone else's experiences. Active listening is a particularly useful technique for listening fully to others.

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What is active listening?

Active listening is a communication technique developed by Carl Rogers, an American psychologist. It involves listening to others attentively, with respect, kindness, and empathy. This allows everyone to express themselves freely, without fear of being judged and with complete confidence.

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At work, active listening can be used in all interactions and with all colleagues. It can be practiced during a job interview, an annual review, a meeting, a discussion between colleagues, etc.

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Active listening, the benefits

Active listening leads to more constructive and caring conversations. It is a useful tool for both parties. The listener will gain a better understanding of the other person's needs. For the person being listened to, there are various benefits, including:

• • Name your difficulties
• • Feeling listened to
• • Manage your emotions more easily
• • Feeling recognized and valued
• • Not being isolated

Active listening makes discussions flow more smoothly. It helps to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

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Promoting active listening at work also creates added value for the company. Employees will feel more recognized when they are able to communicate and feel that they are being listened to. Team cohesion will also be improved. In addition, active listening is a very good tool for managing conflicts in the workplace. It allows you to respond gently to aggression, put yourself in the other person's shoes, and thus defuse the situation. These elements contribute to the well-being of teams at work. And, of course, employees who feel good about themselves will be more productive, creative, and involved in their work. This is inevitably beneficial to the company's performance.

In practice

To practice active listening, you need to be able to focus on the person. This means agreeing to be truly available to them. It involves concentrating on the conversation without thinking about or doing anything else that could interfere with your listening.

Practicing active listening means using certain elements of language:

Questioning

During conversion, asking questions is essential. This will help clarify and specify the issue at hand. It is not necessary to ask questions about the problem itself, but rather about how the person experiences this problem. By asking questions, you ensure that you understand properly and encourage discussion.

Open-ended and closed-ended questions

In dialogue, both open-ended and closed-ended questions will help clarify the situation. Open-ended questions allow the person to recount the facts in a comprehensive manner. You can use questions such as "What's going on?" or "How do you feel?" Closed-ended questions, on the other hand, help clarify a specific point, as they require a short answer.

The acquiescements

They will actually make your conversation partner feel listened to. "Okay," "Of course," "Yes"...

Reformulation

When communicating, rephrasing is key. By rephrasing in your own words, you can ensure that you have correctly understood the other person's needs or requests.

Silences

We may tend to want to fill the conversation as much as possible. However, silences are important for listening attentively. They also allow us to refocus on the subject and give our conversation partner space to express themselves.

Springboard words

These are words such as "What do you mean?", "More specifically?", "But still." Here too, they help to clarify the facts and also restart the dialogue.

The summary

In a professional conversation, remember to summarize at the end of the exchange. The purpose of summarizing is to highlight the key points of the conversation. It allows you to review what has been said, marks the end of the presentation of the problem, and validates the directions taken.

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Also remember to observe nonverbal language, which will give you clues about how your conversation partner is feeling. For example, if they have their arms crossed, avoid eye contact, and keep their distance, they are probably feeling stressed.

The plus: Active listening is a very effective management tool.

To learn more about communication, check out our article on nonviolent communication.

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