{"id":9406,"date":"2017-03-29T09:14:32","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T09:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/?p=9406"},"modified":"2025-09-05T04:56:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T04:56:21","slug":"managers-can-become-better-listeners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/managers-can-become-better-listeners\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways Managers Can Become Better Listeners (and Why It Matters)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9537 size-full\" title=\"Managers Can Become Better Listeners\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/6-Ways-Managers-Can-Become-Better-Listeners-and-Why-It-Matters-Copy.png\" alt=\"6-ways-managers-can-become-better-listeners-and-why-it-matters\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Hear this, businesspeople: Odds are you aren\u2019t so good at listening.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t just conjecture by disgruntled employees. It\u2019s a statement backed by research.<\/p>\n<p>One\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/1957\/09\/listening-to-people\/ar\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a>\u00a0including hundreds of businesspeople found most of the participants only remembered <em><i>half <\/i><\/em>of what they heard immediately after a conversation. Many participants were <a href=\"https:\/\/brainwiz.org\/brain-hacks\/best-fidget-toys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fidgeting<\/a>\u00a0or not even paying attention. Fast forward to six months later, and their retention rates were down to a measly 25 percent. This proved true even for people who thought they were doing a good job of listening.<\/p>\n<p>Why does this matter? Because active listening can powerfully influence the way a company operates. Here\u2019s why managers should invest in becoming better listeners\u2014and how to make it happen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch: <span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;How to Train New Managers | Training Course Introduction&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:829,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;11&quot;:3,&quot;12&quot;:0}\">How to Train New Managers | Training Course Introduction<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CnUfCr3Dcck\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"try_free_button\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"round_btn try-btn1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/courses\/new-manager-training\/\">View This Course<\/a><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Listening_Matters\"><\/span><strong><b>Why Listening Matters<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Listening might sound like a \u201csoft skill\u201d that matters less than, say, the ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/visme.co\/blog\/how-to-create-a-marketing-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">craft a marketing plan<\/a> or spot investments that will pay off. In truth, listening is an important business strategy in its own right.<\/p>\n<p>Listening to your employees allows you to identify potential issues before they become massive errors. It helps you tap into the team\u2019s energy and notice when employees need a morale boost, professional development, or interpersonal interventions.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, an employee may be having an issue with your leave policy or worse, facing bias or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/courses\/sexual-harassment-training\/\">sexual harassmen<\/a>t in the workplace. To address such serious matters, you need to start with active listening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re able to course correct before things take<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an ugly turn<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you ensure stable levels of productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A habit of listening well also communicates to your team that you care about their input. When staff feel appreciated, they\u2019re more likely to respect your opinion. This gives you greater influence as a manager and reduces employee turnover rates.<\/p>\n<p>These are just a few of the ways in which listening to your team can improve your workplace and your company\u2019s bottom line. The benefits of listening also extend to your relationships with clients, vendors, investors, and so on. In short? Virtually every aspect of your business will benefit from your efforts to become a better listener.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Read More:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/informal-learning-why-it-matters-to-a-business\/\">Importance of Informal Learning in Business<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Listen_Better\"><\/span><strong><b>How to Listen Better<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Becoming a better listener takes work, but it can be learned. Start by implementing the following strategies.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Be attentive<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>The first step in listening well is to completely engage in the conversation. Put down your phone, turn away from your computer screen, and clear your mind of other thoughts so you can\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.claritychi.com\/blog\/2017\/2\/16\/the-practice-of-mindful-listening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">listen mindfully<\/a>\u00a0to whomever is talking to you. If it\u2019s not a good time to talk, ask the person if you can meet at a designated time when you\u2019ll have fewer distractions.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Consider what isn\u2019t being said<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>Body language is a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.business2community.com\/leadership\/managers-can-improve-listening-skills-0636763#J0hwvk8ek0TZcxMq.97\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>major part of communication<\/u><\/a>, so active listening requires paying attention to what you and the speaker are \u201csaying\u201d without actually saying it. Pay attention to the speaker\u2019s posture, facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, and so on to identify clues into how they\u2019re feeling. This will allow you to make the conversation more constructive. If the speaker appears tense, for example, you might adopt a calm tone to help them feel more comfortable.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to your own body language, make sure you\u2019re facing the speaker, maintaining eye contact, nodding occasionally to affirm what they\u2019re saying, and communicating openness to the conversation by leaning in and not crossing your arms.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Paraphrase what you hear<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>Repeating back what you\u2019re gleaning from the conversation allows you and the speaker to confirm you\u2019re on the same page. When the other person finishes their thought, paraphrase what you heard to demonstrate you\u2019ve been paying attention and to ensure there are no misunderstandings.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Ask clarifying questions<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re not totally understanding what the speaker is saying, that\u2019s okay. Instead of pretending you get it, ask follow-up questions to better understand what they\u2019re trying to convey. This will communicate that you\u2019re invested in hearing the other person, increase the depth of your understanding, and ensure time isn\u2019t lost to misunderstandings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch: What Every New Manager Needs to Know<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gum3fmvF_bM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"try_free_button\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"round_btn try-btn1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/courses\/what-every-new-manager-needs-to-know\/\">View This Course<\/a><\/div>\n<h3><strong><b>Think before you speak<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>When it\u2019s your turn to respond, take the time to do so in a considered way. It\u2019s okay to say \u201cLet me think about that for a few moments\u201d so you can collect your thoughts. Make sure you aren\u2019t responding in a way that is reactive, dismissive, or otherwise disrespectful of the speaker. Instead, validate and thoughtfully respond to each of the speaker\u2019s main points and requests. If you can\u2019t provide an answer in the moment, let the other person know you\u2019re invested in a solution and schedule a time to follow-up.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><b>Eliminate bad listening habits<\/b><\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p>What you <em><i>don\u2019t <\/i><\/em>do while listening is just as important as what you do. Aim to eliminate the following\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.techrepublic.com\/article\/enhance-your-listening-skills-and-your-management-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bad habits<\/a>: interrupting, avoiding eye contact, allowing yourself to be distracted, responding dismissively, ignoring the other person\u2019s questions, dominating the conversation, jumping to conclusions, being judgmental, and so on.<\/p>\n<p>You might spend a week jotting down every time you engage in one of these poor listening habits. This will train you to notice these patterns. Then, whenever you catch yourself falling into old habits, choose a more constructive approach.<\/p>\n<p>The manager\u2019s primary job in a conversation isn\u2019t to speak. It\u2019s to engage and understand in order to troubleshoot issues and identify opportunities. Active listening is your ticket to better leadership and greater business success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hear this, businesspeople: Odds are you aren\u2019t so good at listening. This isn\u2019t just conjecture by disgruntled employees. It\u2019s a statement backed by research. One\u00a0study\u00a0including hundreds of businesspeople found most of the participants only remembered half of what they heard immediately after a conversation. Many participants were fidgeting\u00a0or not even paying attention. Fast forward to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":46136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-train-and-upskill"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>6 Ways Managers Can Become Better Listeners (and Why It Matters)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Listening shows that you care about your employees. It also helps you identify any potential issues. 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His blog focuses on trends in eLearning, online training, webinars, course development, employee training, gamification, LMS, AI, and more. Kamy's articles have been published in eLearningIndustry, TrainingMag, Training Zone, and Learning Solutions Magazine. Connect with him on LinkedIn.","url":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/author\/kamy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9406"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61910,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9406\/revisions\/61910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}