Active listening skills are more critical than ever, especially as we head into the annual planning season. When we pause to think strategically about the business and spend our valuable time and resources to bring people together, we need that time to be productive. If you haven't cultivated a culture of active listening, that essential time may be wasted!
To plan well, open and honest communication is vital. People need to feel empowered to speak up, add their input to the conversations, and be allowed to disagree respectfully. If we want the best out of our teams and value their participation in the direction the company is heading, we must create an intentional space where their contributions are welcomed. Active listening is an essential part of this process. When done effectively, it motivates people and makes them feel invested in the organizational path of progress. Active listening creates an environment where your team can collaborate and innovate and focus on the needs of the business.
This skill may be more critical than ever, considering we are in the era of resignations and a highly competitive workforce. This employment atmosphere makes it vital to do the granular work of active listening and developing the habit of being present when people are our most valuable resource.
While we all know our people matter and listening is critical, it's often difficult to distinguish hearing from listening. These soft skills are unfortunately not always taught though to lead well, they must be learned. "Hearing is a passive, physical act that requires one sense and has to do with the perception of sound. It does not rely on concentration… Listening is a mental, active process that requires multiple senses. [It] is a voluntary act… [that] revolves around actively paying attention to the words and sounds that you hear to absorb their meaning and develop an emotional response."
Listening with this amount of effort and intention is not usually our first inclination when life is busy. When rushing between appointments, multi-tasking, and making lists, our focus is usually on doing our daily work. The habit of pausing our own priorities and agendas and seeking to understand gets pushed to the back burner. We get caught up in our own obligations and hear but do not genuinely listen.
Joel Peterson, the former chairman of JetBlue Airways, put it best, "senior executives may find it challenging to remain fully present in meetings when they have ten things on their minds at any given moment. But it's a necessary discipline if they are to draw people out, and it requires that you listen to achieve understanding and withhold judgment." This practice, while difficult when we are so focused on achieving, can be cultivated and will be the most important tool in your toolkit as you walk into your planning sessions. The intentionality of actively listening to your team can lead to key pivots and significant wins!
The EAR method is a three-step process.
"E" stands for "explore," "A" stands for "acknowledge," and "R" stands for "response." This method is a sequence that will help you authentically engage in active listening.
Annual Planning: 9 Tips to Focus & Align Your Team with a Great Plan
Annual Planning Playbook: 5 Steps to Create a Winning Annual Plan
How CEOs Can Avoid High-Cost Mistakes in Annual Planning
Best Practices for Annual Planning
Rhythm Systems Annual Planning Resource Center