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5 Reasons American Industry Needs ‘Active Listening’ Now More Than Ever
Active listening has many benefits in the workplace. One might even say all businesses need leaders who are adept at active listening. Here’s why.
Expert tips for how business leaders can readily address the root causes of stress and burnout and ultimately facilitate a culture of caring
Employee burnout is one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. economy to the tune of $300 billion each year, according to the American Institute of Stress. Its studies show that a near majority, fully 83%, of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, with over half (60%) of worker absences directly related to that stress. Not only is this a significant drain on resources that drives avoidable opportunity loss, but it’s also a major contributor to both mental and physical health problems of valuable employees.
Today’s employers need not knowingly or unconsciously undermine their own productivity and profitability. While any number of interventions can address and resolve the employee burnout epidemic, one solution is within earshot...literally: active listening.
Today’s modern management must take a top-down approach to support staffers, and not just hear what is being said but rather actively listen to it. For one, a Harvard Business Review study found that active listening is a key factor in improving leadership effectiveness, which, in turn, improves employee productivity, engagement, and retention.
“Today’s modern management must take a top-down approach to support staffers, and not just hear what is being said but rather actively listen to it.”
Conversely, failing to do so presents a mission-critical missed opportunity to address and resolve, the root causes of workforce stress and burnout. With employee burnout so widespread, aptly addressing the issue can seem daunting for managers. However, the overwhelm of the issue can apparently be mitigated with a clarified understanding of common challenges that cause, and exacerbate, employee burnout.
According to Adi Segal, CEO of Hapi.com, below are five red flags that can readily be identified and resolved through active listening. These are:
Social Isolation: When employees feel isolated, their emotional state is compromised and they are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, and burnout–factors that can erode and impair a company’s growth. The work-from-home culture has only exacerbated the issue. In fact, Airbnb’s CEO warned that “the most dangerous part of remote work isn’t lost productivity—it’s loneliness.” Active listening can help leaders identify employees who are struggling with this issue and take concerted steps to help them feel more connected to a manager and the team at large. Knowing that you “belong,” feeling that you are an important “part of something” and understanding that your contributions are valued can produce a powerful and positive mindset.
Relationship Issues: Whether with respect to friends, colleagues, family or a significant other, relationship problems can cause significant pain, trauma, and strain that promotes burnout. By actively listening to employees, leaders can identify these kinds of issues and take proactive measures to address them before they become major problems—for the worker, department, and the company overall.
Mentorship Deficits: Mentoring is an essential part of career development, but it can be challenging to navigate for both mentors and mentees. Many companies today are stretched thin and workdays are overwhelmed with tasks and to-do’s that make “free time” elusive if not seemingly impossible. Even so, it’s imperative for leaders to engage in active listening moments to help identify these guidance gaps and provide the necessary support, direction, assessment, and praise to keep staffers on the right track.
Socioeconomic & Financial Strife: Often, an employee pool represents a variety of socioeconomic factors and income levels. No matter one’s real or self-perceived stature or actual salary, everyone is at risk of struggling culturally and economically. Active listening can be a profound form of activism, with one report underscoring the extent to which active listening can offer much-needed support to help people deal with intense and distressing emotions in relation to these particular issues that fundamentally impact nearly every aspect of our work, home, and social lives.
Sub-Par Problem-Solving: It would be an understatement to say that problem-solving is a critical capability to uphold in the workplace. In fact, problem-solving skills were cited as the most important soft skill of 2022 with fully 86% of employers reportedly seeking this attribute on student resumes, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2022 survey. Given this vital skill is hampered by communication breakdowns, active listening can help leaders identify these shortfalls, and bridge those gaps by providing the necessary understanding, explanation, support, and guidance to ensure everyone is on the same page.
According to Segal, “Even the most significant issues individuals, families, and organizations face can be resolved with active listening, which needs to be more deeply embedded into our society—especially as most facets of our professional and personal lives move at lightning speed. Relative to corporate culture, better listening training is a quick and tactical way to demonstratively and quantifiably improve company culture, increase staff retention and boost the bottom line.”
“Active listening can be a profound form of activism”
Immediately Accessible Solutions
Addressing employee burnout and related productivity pitfalls need not be rocket science, according to Segal, there are numerous tactical strategies to start addressing the issue right now.
These include:
● Practice Makes Perfect: As with any skill, listening ability is correlated with frequency of use. Like working a muscle, it will get stronger over time. Similarly, leaders should regularly schedule and conduct sessions with their employees to actually practice “the art of listening” rather than just “hearing what someone said.” This is in order to fully comprehend the content, meaning, and implications of that discourse. People must embrace the notion that listening is not just a concept, but rather something that requires intention and action.
● Train Your Team: There are numerous emotional intelligence and active listening courses leaders can provide individuals or their entire team. Just as the state mandates harassment training, business executives should make listening certification an important part of their own, and their team’s, professional development. Go a step further and make it a prerequisite or requirement for the job. If and when needed, expert trainers can be engaged to run active listening exercises, either in-person or virtually. Such professional resources can help expedite the key learning needed to put this skill into meaningful practice and start positively impacting people and the business's bottom line.
● Recommend Resources: Analysis by NSC and NORC at the University of Chicago reveals organizations that support mental health see a return of $4 for every dollar invested. They’ve built a Mental Health Cost Calculator that can demonstrate and quantify the financial impact on your own company. Also notable is that research makes it abundantly clear: talking to strangers can supercharge happiness. With the advent of Certified Listening as a Service (CLaaS), managers can promote mental health apps and resources that increase access to care and human connectivity with 24/7/365 availability, lower the bar to entry, and simply provide a safe space for team members (from the C-suite to the front line) to vent, relieve stress, get advice, bounce ideas or just have company when feeling lonely or isolated. Such access anywhere, any time mental health platforms can be a boon for employee retention, recruitment, and organizational transitions.
“Many psychologists even admit that, often, people dealing with work and life issues don't need therapy, but rather they just need someone to talk to,” Segal says. “Someone who will truly listen and provide the space for support, validation, and exploration.”
“Organizationally, leaders need to establish and build upon a culture of engagement, collaboration, and trust. The kind that can only be compelled through true active listening.”
Organizationally, leaders need to establish and build upon a culture of engagement, collaboration, and trust. The kind that can only be compelled through true active listening so that employees feel heard, valued, and supported in a way that impedes burnout.
In turn, business and industry will realize an array of benefits, from increased productivity and higher staff retention rates to lower absenteeism and presenteeism exemplified by the ‘quiet quitting’ trend.
Employee angst, stress, and burnout are significant business problems. One highly viable—and relatively immediate—solution lies in the simple yet impactful act of active listening.
By committing to this learned and nuanced skill, leaders can readily address the root causes of these issues and ultimately facilitate a potent culture of caring. Executives will quickly see the ripple effects as these improvements drive employee satisfaction and revenue growth.
Merilee Kern, MBA is a brand strategist and analyst who reports on industry change makers, movers, shakers, and innovators: field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations, and events. Merilee is also the Founder, Executive Editor, and Producer of “The Luxe List” as well and is the Host of both the “Savvy Ventures” business TV show that airs nationally on FOX Business TV and Bloomberg TV and the “Savvy Living” lifestyle TV show airing in top U.S. markets.
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How to Use Focus Words for Goal Setting
Here are some simple suggestions about how to pick strong focus words for your business in the new year. And some insights that I’ve learned from the word of the year trend.
The last six months have been a whirlwind…to say the least. Personally, I’ve battled extremely low iron, which I had to get infusions for. And I got diagnosed with Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). It wasn’t surprising, but since both low iron and PsA come with chronic fatigue, I’d pretty much get up every day feeling like I never went to bed.
Now that I’ve started treatment, I’m feeling better slowly but surely. Throughout the struggle, I clung to my business dream like it was going out of style. I knew I didn’t want to do quite the same thing - content writing for clients - but it didn’t become clear to me what to do for a while. After all, writing pays the bills and security is important!
I remember the day everything changed. I was driving home from the library (one of my favorite local workplaces) after a particularly tough content-writing session.
This can’t be it. There has to be something better.
I thought about how I missed teaching and being around real-life people. Wondering how I could impact more people than a few clients at a time, even though I enjoyed the people I worked with.
WORKSHOPS
It was one word that appeared in my mind - around June I think. Nothing has ever been more clear in my life. One of my colleagues hopped on a strategy call with me and the ideas just kept coming and coming. We were both so excited (and still are). I finally got it about business owners saying it was “easy.” And just plain fun to think about.
So I went about my business (literally), changing pretty much everything. Don’t worry - I’ll be sharing more soon. ;)
When the new year rolled around, I didn’t have trouble choosing how I want to spend the year.
Goal Setting with Focus Words
I’m going to guess you’ve heard of the word of the year trend. It’s pretty popular, and it’s always interesting to see what others are focusing on for the year. Last year, I couldn’t narrow it down so I chose 3: Steady, Ease, and Accept.
It was difficult to narrow down because I didn’t have a clear focus. I was on the fence about my services and pricing. I knew I had to pick one or the other direction and stick with it before I could expand, but I just didn’t want to. I also knew I was burned the heck out and needed something to give. I needed to be able to let it evolve on its own and see where it went without worrying about it every single moment of the day (you’ve had those thoughts, right? I know I’m not the only one).
So, because I love lists with a passion, I made a huge list of choices.
Like, a whole page of options.
How the hell does someone pick ONE word out of a whole page to focus on for the year??
Obviously, I missed the “word” of the year mark since I picked 3. But I felt good about it. It felt like something I could look at when everything seemed overwhelming and be comforted: all I had to do was stick to those three things and it would be okay.
2023 came easier for me, and I’m okay with having two focuses that go hand-in-hand. But if you’re in the space where you’re trying to figure out if the word of the year thing is even worth your time, it might help to think about it in a different way.
Here’s what I’ve learned about having a word of the year:
The term word of the year freaks me out because it feels too significant for one word
Goals are always top of mind and it’s okay to have a way to reign them in when they seem to be taking over your life (making it so you don’t actually achieve any of them)
My words of the year help me focus and drown out some of the distractions that come with running a business
The term focus is critical because it means something different than goals - it’s a bit less constricting but still productive
I can use other people’s examples and ideas and adapt them to what I need
So here’s what I’m going to suggest, if you, like me, find yourself in a place where you want direction, but can’t pick a single word.
Think about what you love about your business right now. If you’re looking for a change, what does that look like?
Think about what you’d love to do next. (Even if it doesn’t necessarily “match” what you do right now).
Think about how you want your business to feel for other people.
Think about how you want to feel as you run your business.
If you had one opportunity this year that would put a huge smile on your face and some dance in your pants, what would it be? How do you get closer to that?
Write down said thoughts on paper with a pen. Or type it out, your choice. ;) Don’t lose the thoughts, though! You never know when they might come in handy.
Breathe in, breathe out, and listen to what your heart and instincts are saying about how to move forward. Trust said instinct and run with it.
Is this scientific? Nope. Is it woo-woo? Yep.
The question you’re wondering now, especially if you’re a skeptic of the woo-woo world: Does it work? Absolutely.
My Focus Words for 2023
Sometimes an example is just the thing to make an idea easier to understand. So I thought I’d share my focus words for 2023. They’re “fun” and “easy.”
More specifically, the phrases I’m focusing on are:
Let it be fun.
Let it be easy.
Let it be fun is about how I want to feel in my business. I love writing more than most things and I want to share that passion more widely rather than simply doing it. I also love teaching, but I don’t miss grading. How do I put those two things together in my business? Writing workshops. It’s fun, it’s meaningful, and it gets me into the community where I wanted to be the whole time.
Let it be easy is about how I approach my business. I have a tendency to overthink, overanalyze, and pick things to death. It’s stressful, and I’m sure it’s part of an anxiety reaction; however, it doesn’t have to be a thing at all. Not really. So letting it be easy, for me, is about trusting my instincts, taking opportunities that come along, and letting myself just do it already. Ironically, letting it be easy is often the challenge, not the business part.
Some of the other focus words I’ve heard about from my network this year are: growth, confidence, balance, purpose, intent, and present.
What about you? Did you set focus words? Or do you like having a word of the year? Comment below or find me on socials - let’s talk about it!
TL;DR
Try choosing a couple of focus words rather than restricting yourself to a single word of the year. Let it be fun, let it be easy, and don’t forget that you get to do what you love in your business. No matter what words/phrases you choose, always keep your passion and joy top of mind.
Accepting Change in Business
Change is scary. We, as humans, like to stay where we’re most comfortable. But sometimes, change is necessary, and we need to accept it. I’m going through a transitional period with my business right now where I’m really focusing on who I want to serve. And with that comes new services, strategies, and processes. It’s a scary (but exciting!) time for me and my business, and that’s what inspired this blog. If you’re going through a change, keep reading to learn the strategy that’s working for me and how you can implement it to help you navigate your change, too.
Change is scary. We, as humans, like to stay where we’re most comfortable. But sometimes, change is necessary, and we need to accept it. Capturing Your Confidence (CYC) is going through a transitional period where I’m really focusing on who I can best serve.
With transition comes new services, strategies, and processes. It’s a scary (but exciting!) time for me and my business, and that’s what inspired this blog. If you’re going through change, these are the strategies working for me, which means they could work for you, too.
Knowing it’s Time for a Change
How do you know it’s time for a change? Sometimes change is forced upon you. Entrepreneurship is a tumultuous career. You might lose clients unexpectedly, the market may impact your services, you don't have a work-life balance, or you aren't booking your ideal clients. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, change is up to you!
Here are a few things that will indicate if it’s time for a change.
You aren’t happy with your work anymore.
You know the feeling when work feels like, well, work? You should enjoy what you’re doing. If it feels like a drag or you aren’t excited about your work (even though you’re your own boss), it’s time for a change. It may involve working with new clients, creating new products or services, or updating strategies and processes to get in a better, more inspired headspace.
You get irritated over little things.
When little things turn into a big deal, it’s time for a change. Small inconveniences, annoyances, and frustrations that cause big headaches mean you aren’t happy with your current situation. When you’re building a business you love, small irritations are much more avoidable than in a job with other people making decisions on your behalf.
You dream other dreams.
Your goals change as your skills develop and you’re exposed to new things in the world of business - and that’s totally okay! You should go after new goals and dreams as you advance in your career. When your work doesn’t align with your goals, it’s time to move on.
Your work frustrations bleed into your personal life.
Taking your work-related anger out on your family or friends is never okay. If you come home angry, exhausted, irritated, or short-tempered (or you stay that way all the time because you work from home), it should be your number one sign that you need a change in your life.
When it comes to business, it’s good to listen to what feels right. If your current job doesn’t ignite a fire in you anymore, listen to your mind telling you it’s time to move on.
Change Management Strategy
You want to make the best of the change coming to your business. I’m working on implementing these as I navigate changes coming to CYC soon.
According to Transformation Strategies, here are a few principles to help smooth the jagged edges of change:
Leverage the existing culture: Use the culture already established in your company to drive behavioral changes.
Lead from the top: The leadership team (if you’re a solopreneur, that’s you) needs to have a positive influence on employees or contractors by showing commitment, alignment, and agreement to the change they are implementing.
Evaluate and reconfigure: Assess and adapt processes, structures, or situations to improve strategies.
Take these steps to positively transition with the change. You, as the business owner, need to be 100% on board with everything happening. If something feels wrong, even just a little, trust your gut instinct and ditch the idea. Something better will come along that will align with your values and needs.
Small Changes Make Big Differences
Here are a few changes you can make in your business that will have a big impact. If it sounds "“too simple” to be true, that’s because it is. We tend to make things much more complicated than they need to be (myself included!) - it doesn’t have to be that way.
Clients
Serving the wrong clients is draining. Trust me, this comes from a true place of experience. When you nail down your ideal client, you feel much more fulfilled in your work. Take some time to really decide who you want to work with and how your services can help them. It’s SCARY AS HELL to narrow down your ideal client. Seriously. But when you' take the leap, it WILL feel better. There’s nothing saying you can’t expand in the future.
Hiring Help
Hiring a contractor was seriously one of the best things I did for my business. I passed off work I knew was important to growing my business but no longer had the time to do myself. Also, it wasn’t fun anymore! Realizing the need for support is a great first step. Not sure if it’s the “right” time? Check this out, it’ll help.
Setting Boundaries
Oftentimes, workplace frustrations come from people breaking boundaries. This could be partners, clients, or anyone else you interact with regularly. Set clear boundaries with yourself and your clients to ensure expectations are being met on both sides. Once they’re in place, stick to them. No one is being harmed by boundaries you set around your business. If someone says that, you don’t need to be working with them to begin with - set them free and move on.
Change is scary, but it’s a good thing! With change comes personal and professional growth that will benefit you in the long run, even when it feels messy now.
As I’m going through a period of change, I’m learning and making mistakes along the way. It’s all part of the journey. I know what’s coming will help a lot of people, and that’s what matters most to me.