top of page

Listening is key, but words alone don't work

 

Employees need to experience consistent actions that reinforce they are:

leadership.png

Competent

​

That they are doing their job correctly and, if not, they are being constructively coached on how to improve.

Connection.png

Connected

​

That they understand how their performance impacts others and the company's ability to reach its vision of success.

noun_appreciation_1317462.png

Appreciated

​

That their unique contributions are recognized by their boss, their peers and the
company's leadership

In our society, respect and trust are inextricably linked by the need to be listened to.

 

Trust is an emotion used to predict whether you mean what you say and will follow up on your commitments.

 

A lack of trust at work fosters jealousy and fear which feeds two problematic actions: an unhealthy focus on what is "fair"; and a reluctance to share bad news.

 

If you can communicate what your fears are, what your challenges are, and if you trust that people you work with all want the right outcome, then engagement and high performance will follow, even if we stumble. 

 

Trust comes down to this: Can you say, "I made a mistake, We took a risk. We failed. We lost money. But we learned this and we're going to be OK."

Trust is a return on emotional investment and not a logical action. There are, however, actions that work like compound interest to build a "trust reserve."

​

Listening to repeat back, not to solve, is a skill that leaders at Top Workplaces employ. This forces the brain to stop formulating a response or "solution" and instead focus on what actually is being said – what words are being chosen; what may be the root issue.

​

Bureaucracy is about a lack of trust. “I don’t trust you to do the right thing so I’ll make you justify it each time.” “I don’t trust you to do the right thing so I’ll prevent you from doing specific things."

 

This is one reason why performance management and traditional approaches to feedback are so harmful, often resulting in the exact opposite of the desired result.

bottom of page