Listen not to respond, listen to understand.

During my recent studies, I found a very nice lecture on active listening. After some research, I discovered an even more interesting topic: "Listen to Understand." Sometimes it happens to all of us; we speak with our teammates or employees just because we have to, or let's say, because we've heard that we should. However, I've found that it's much better to listen with an interest in understanding what the other person is saying and to be present. In the last few discussions, I found great solutions for various problems we faced. Here are a few tips about listening to understand.

Listening isn't just about hearing what's said; it's the secret to finding out what makes your team shine. By really listening, you can discover talents in your employees that you never knew existed.

Open your hearing aid

Avoid just hearing what you expect to hear. Make a conscious effort to listen with the intent to understand. This way, you can overcome your own biases and open up to new perspectives.

Interest and curiosity

When you talk to your team, be genuinely curious. Ask questions to understand how they view things. It's important to let them come up with answers on their own, rather than pushing your own ideas.

Bad mood

If you're not in the right headspace to listen—maybe you're distracted or not feeling great—acknowledge that. It's better to pause the conversation than to not listen properly and waste everyone's time.

Time to reschedule

Take a moment to reset and plan a specific time to continue the conversation. This ensures you can give your full attention and make the most of your discussions.

Call to action

Remember, great leadership starts with great listening. Let's open the floor to our teams and see what we can learn together. Let me know if you want to know more.