Every head is a world: on different kinds of listening

In much of the writing around implementing change in business, ‘deep’ listening and ‘active’ listening are cited as being fundamental to successful adoption and transition.

What kind of listening?

The difficulty is that it’s more complex than it would first seem. In the words of a Cuban proverb: Listening looks easy, but it's not simple. Every head is a world. Who is doing the listening? Why are you listening? Is listening enough? What do you do after the listening?

Different kinds of listening

Yes, listening is the most important thing but, as with anything else, understanding why you’re doing it is essential if you’re to make the most of what you hear. And knowing this will help you determine who needs to be heard, by whom, and how you’ll set the conditions for that to happen.

The following list is by no means exhaustive, but at different times, these considerations could be helpful.

Listen to each other

There are times when we can’t just rely on those who are ‘good listeners’ to facilitate change and help articulate a vision for the future. It is often the case that, particularly in times of conflict or stress, the role of a change manager is to create an environment where team members are able to listen to each other. Good listening should make an essential contribution to the effective development of ideas.

Who is loudest?

In a reversal of this point, however, sometimes it also pays to listen to the loudest voice. I’ve been in a number of situations where the loudest voice gets overlooked or isn’t taken seriously because ‘she’s always complaining’ or ‘he’s got a bee in his bonnet about that issue’. Perhaps it’s worth reflecting on why that point is being made so loudly. It may be that the way something is being expressed is not artful, or that frustration is getting in the way of a clear argument, but it’s worth trying to see what’s behind words and expressions. Is there actually something important here we need to attend to?

What’s not being said

That’s not to say that we should give the loudest voice all the air-time, of course, and it’s also important to listen out for what’s not being said. There are a number of reasons why people might not be as forthcoming as we’d like them to be. Occasionally, a team member is genuinely open-minded about the issues being discussed. On the other hand, where people are reluctant to offer a view, it’s helpful to find alternative means that allow for these voices to be heard. Although, it goes without saying that this will raise further questions about why these views can’t be shared and what it says about the culture in which they’re working. Lastly, there are the elephants that occupy a lot of organisational office space; listen out for what people are avoiding saying, and see if there are ways of asking questions that help articulate what everyone can see but no-one wants to acknowledge.

Most affected

It seems an obvious thing to say, but key to any transformation or change is listening keenly to those most affected by a proposal. It’s certainly the case that comment on a proposal might be sought from someone outside those immediately involved but where a major change affects a group of people, ensuring that this constituency is consulted in a meaningful way is essential. Ideas that arise from this have more credibility and the success of a measure is increased where a group can see their input in the resulting proposal.

Inconsistency

Listening for inconsistency is also important. If someone’s actions or behaviours run counter to what they are saying in meetings or briefings, progress will be slowed by confusion and loss of trust.

What problem are you trying to solve?

Lastly, when working with a team, it’s often helpful to listen for a problem rather than a solution. Teams that work together a lot, particularly if they know each other well can sometimes leap straight to proposing a solution and executing delivery without always looking closely at the causes of a symptom. Spending a little time unpicking what problem we’re trying to solve will ensure that the right amount of effort is used on the right task within the right time-frame.

Worth the effort

As with many of the practices I’m thinking about at the moment, effective listening does take time. But it’s an investment that is worthwhile.

What is the most useful thing you’ve heard this week? Tell me. I’m all ears.

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How is your listening?