This is the final installment of our three-part ‘Back to Basics’ series, where we’ve been dusting off a 1970 management primer to see whether the fundamentals of good management have really changed. We’ve explored giving constructive feedback and giving effective directions. This week, we turn to perhaps the most overlooked management skill of all: listening.
One of the simplest—and perhaps most enduring—management lessons can be summed up in five words:
Use Both of your Ears.
According to The Sound of Good Management, effective managers listen with two ears: one for meaning and one for feeling.
That may sound simplistic, but it captures one of the greatest challenges in management. Employees communicate on two levels. They tell us what happened, and they reveal how they feel about what happened. Effective managers hear both.
Managers spend much of their day assigning work, explaining expectations, solving problems, and coaching employees. Yet their greatest opportunities often come not while they’re speaking, but while they’re listening.
Ear Number One: Listen for Meaning
The first responsibility of a manager is to understand the message. What facts are the employee communicating? What challenge are they trying to solve? What information are they sharing?
Too often, managers begin formulating a response before the employee has finished speaking. Effective listeners resist that temptation. They ask clarifying questions, summarize what they’ve heard, and ensure they understand before weighing in on the issue.
Listening for meaning improves decisions because managers act on complete information rather than assumptions.
Ear Number Two: Listen for Feeling
Sometimes what an employee says is only part of the message. How they say it can be just as important. Are they frustrated? Confused? Discouraged? Hesitant to raise a concern? Excited about a new idea? Managers who listen only for facts may miss the emotions driving the conversation. Those emotions often explain why an issue exists—and what will be required to resolve it.
Listening for feeling does not mean agreeing with every concern. It means recognizing the human element behind the conversation and acknowledging that the employee has been heard. That simple act builds trust.
Listening Is an Active Skill
Effective listening requires intention. It means putting aside distractions, allowing someone to finish their thought, asking one more question before offering one more answer, and resisting the temptation to solve the issue before fully understanding it. Talking over the employee signals clearly that what he/she is saying is not important.
Monday Coffee Brief Takeaway
The next time an employee walks into your office, remember to use both ears. Listen for meaning to understand the issue. Listen for feeling to understand the person. The quality of your response will almost always depend on the quality of your listening.
As we’ve seen throughout this three-part series, the fundamentals of effective management haven’t changed nearly as much as the terminology. Good managers give clear directions. They provide constructive feedback. And they listen—not just to the words being spoken, but to the people speaking the words.
Sometimes the best way to move forward is to get back to basics.
For guidance on workplace management, employment compliance, and other employment law matters, contact Neva Stotler or Annamarie Truckley.
