The Power of Listening 7 Steps to Stronger Workplace Communication

Written by Kasie Roberson, PhD

Published on 04-01-2025

In today’s busy world listening, real listening has become a lost skill. The loss of this skill can be detrimental to a productive work life. Think of a time when you were meeting with a colleague or emailing a direct report and while you were clear in your ask or the information you were providing, they did not seem to hear or understand what you were asking or telling them. It may have felt like you were going round and round without resolving the issue. It is very likely they were not fully listening or reading your message carefully.

Listening is a skill that can be developed through thoughtful practice. In this article we will discuss seven ways to improve listening skills with three focusing on in-person conversations, meetings, and/or presentations, two focusing on written messages and two that apply to any type of business communication.

Conversations, Meetings, and Presentations

1. Give your full attention – put away technology and be present. It is hard to pay attention to anything or anyone with a phone in our hand or an open computer in front of us. The pull of emails or other work that needs to be done can easily distract you. Set yourself up to be an effective listener by closing the laptop or turning off the screen and/or turning your phone over and silencing it so you will not be distracted by pings.

Also, make sure you are focusing your mind on the conversation or topic being discussed. Try not to let your mind wander and stay present in the moment so you can fully engage.

2. Maintain good eye contact throughout the interaction. Looking at the person you are speaking with will help you to listen more intently than if you are looking elsewhere. Eye contact shows the other person you are paying attention and can help build more trust and connection between you and the speaker. They may be more forthcoming and say more when they feel you are truly listening to them.

3. Maintain good body language throughout the interaction. Like maintaining good eye contact, you also want to face the person speaking, and keep open, not closed off, body language. For example, try not to fold your arms across your chest, which could signal you are upset or angry.

Also, consider your facial expressions. Some people are very stoic and do not smile during conversations, meetings or watching a presentation. When possible, offer a smile or a nod to show you and the speaker are on the same page and in agreement. It will encourage the speaker to share more information.

Reading and Responding to Emails

4. Designate time to reply to emails. Emails can be a pain point for many people as they are a constant pull for an employee’s time and attention. Some people may check their emails all day while they are working on other tasks or projects. This distracted approach can lead to inefficiencies because the employee does not have time to focus on any one task.

Block times throughout the day where you check email and let others know you will be on email then. This “Office Hour” approach to email will help you focus and allow you time to read your emails carefully and respond thoughtfully and thoroughly.

For example, an Office Hour email schedule might look like this:

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Perhaps you may not need this much time on email throughout the day, or maybe you need more. You can adjust accordingly.

5. Read the message carefully – look for the what. When reading an email, it is helpful when the person writing to you is clear about the purpose of the email. Whether they are clear or not, look for the what – what is this email about and what, if anything, do they need from you. If the email is informational and you do not need to provide any follow-up information, it may still be worth a quick “Thank you for this information” reply to confirm you received the message and to close the loop on the communication exchange.

In All Business Communication Situations

6. Don’t make assumptions or create stories in your head. Too often, people make assumptions about someone’s intentions or create stories in their heads if there is missing information or a lack of clarity in a message. A good listener and communicator avoids this behavior by asking questions openly and without assumptions.

7. Ask good follow-up questions. If you need more information or want to consider next steps on a project or issue, then ask questions. The person you are communicating with will feel you are more engaged with the content and them. This may help build trust and connection because it shows you are strategic and thoughtful about details that often make all the difference.

Practicing Powerful Listening

If you are already practicing these effective listening skills—great! Your boss, colleagues and direct reports may already view you as a skilled listener and a competent contributor to the organization or business.

If some of these best practices in effective listening are new to you, then consider giving them a try and see what a difference they could make in how you communicate in the workplace. Also, consider sharing them with your team and watch how effective listening can positively impact your own work life and those around you.