Listening as an ally has long been hailed as a powerful tool for leaders to deftly maneuver complex scenarios, foster collaboration and mend fractured professional relationships.
by Rachael Grail
June 21, 2023
Just three years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic radically disrupted every business, shuttering stores, sending employees home and shifting consumer expectations. Companies longed for a return to normal that never materialized.
Instead, the past several years presented a constant disruption, including rapid employee turnover, economic complexity, technological innovation, global conflict and more.
In this environment, it’s unsurprising that 40 percent of CEOs believe that their companies will “no longer be economically viable in ten years’ time, if it continues on its current course.”
Interestingly, many employees are ready to adapt. More than half of workers say they need to learn new skills to continue their careers, and 46 percent say they “are not as skilled as they need to be.” Similarly, 51 percent of millennials want to “learn new skills to perform a different function.”
This creates a unique opportunity and challenge for chief learning officers to help their teams and companies adjust to ever-changing operational realities.
Listening is the right place to start. Listening as an ally, a well-established framework and communication practice can help CLOs make the most impact as companies and their employees adapt to changing times.
Understanding listening as an ally
Listening as an ally has long been hailed as a powerful tool for leaders to deftly maneuver complex scenarios, foster collaboration and mend fractured professional relationships. By adopting this established framework, leaders can effectively navigate challenging situations with a clear and receptive mindset.
Listening as an ally involves making a conscious effort to prioritize understanding the perspectives of others. This means setting aside preconceived notions, the urge to prove one’s point, and the inclination towards skepticism or hostility. Instead, it entails working with others and moving towards a common goal as a team.
For instance, when a CLO collaborates with a team to determine the timeline for launching various programs, the team members may have diverse opinions on the importance of each program. If each member of the team practices listening as an ally, they can all better understand each other’s perspectives, gather valuable information and make well-informed decisions. Thus, listening as an ally is both a tool and a goal, enabling teams to find improved solutions when tackling challenges.
The beauty of listening as an ally is that it serves many functions and can support more effective implementation of all the other priorities.
Why it matters right now
Listening is core to building trust — the foundation upon which all other communication happens, and communication is the foundation on which all good decisions are made.
For many companies, trust is in short supply.
One Gallup survey found that just 23 percent of U.S. workers “strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization.” Leaders can’t simply manifest trust. It’s earned one interaction at a time.
Critically, people don’t want to work for companies and people they don’t trust. Even as some companies engage in layoffs, the labor market remains tight and retaining existing employees is more cost-effective and culturally responsible than shedding staff and hiring new people.
When CLOs listen as an ally, they build impactful programs where people are comfortable communicating.
They cultivate teams willing to engage in healthy conflict and eager to question strategies when they are flawed, uncovering better solutions that benefit everyone.
For example, a senior engineering manager struggles to maintain her team’s motivation on a complex project. Despite attempting to communicate the challenges to her supervisor, she receives little interest. Consequently, the unmotivated and unheard team falls behind on deadlines, leading the frustrated manager to leave for another company — an avoidable turnover due to unaddressed concerns.
Fortunately, CLOs can learn to listen as an ally, cultivating trust, communication and improved team dynamics and better organizational outcomes.
Listening as an ally techniques are simple and accessible, including:
- Focus on your listening, and make a decision that understanding them is your most important task.
- Get curious about what they are saying.
- Express concern about their thoughts and feelings to show empathy.
- Mirror their words to show that you’ve heard them.
You can listen as an ally
The listening as an ally framework offers significant benefits for CLOs, particularly in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.
By embracing this approach, CLOs can foster trust, collaboration and open communication within their organizations. As employees increasingly seek opportunities for growth and skill development, CLOs who listen as allies can build more effective learning programs, ultimately contributing to increased employee satisfaction, retention and overall organizational success.