From client communications to internal meetings, we are constantly exchanging information at work. With so much happening at once, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle and miss critical details. Communication failure is one of the biggest obstacles that businesses face, with an average annual loss of $62.4 million due to poor communication within and among employees. Whether you're in a client-facing role or part of an internal team, reflective listening is a skill that can help you communicate and problem-solve more effectively.
Reflective listening is a communication tactic increasingly used in the workplace to improve the retention of important information and the overall workplace experience. In this article, we'll explore reflective listening, its use cases in the workplace, techniques to improve reflective listening skills, how it increases retention, and the tools that make it more effective.
What is reflective listening?
Being a good listener means fully understanding and interpreting the speaker's message. In turn, listening includes conveying to the speaker that they have been heard and understood. Reflective listening is a communication technique that involves actively listening to the speaker and then reflecting on the key points of what they said to confirm understanding. Reflective listening involves not only hearing the words spoken but also understanding the emotions and motivations behind them.
You can use this technique in various situations in the workplace, such as client communications, team meetings, and even performance reviews. It’s a powerful tool for building trust and rapport with others, improving communication, and resolving conflicts. By practicing reflective listening, individuals can better understand the needs and concerns of their colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, leading to more effective and productive outcomes.
What are the 3 components of reflective listening?
These are the three components of reflective listening:
- Active Listening: Active listening involves fully concentrating on the speaker's words, without distractions or interruptions. This means paying close attention to verbal and nonverbal cues, such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language, to better understand the speaker's emotions and motivations. It’s important to make eye contact, keep your own thoughts to the side, and listen to the speaker’s point of view.
- Reflection: Reflection involves paraphrasing or summarizing the speaker's words to demonstrate understanding and confirm accuracy. This allows the speaker to clarify any misunderstandings or provide additional information. When you acknowledge the person’s feelings, show empathy for their ideas, and value their words, you build a positive relationship.
- Response: Response involves a thoughtful and empathetic statement acknowledging the speaker's feelings and concerns. A response should always be respectful and focused on the speaker's needs, rather than the listener's agenda. This can include asking clarifying questions, expressing empathy, and providing feedback or advice if appropriate. The listening process is delicate, but effective communication skills show you are invested in the person speaking, which helps foster a solid working relationship.
Why is reflective listening important in the workplace?
Listening skills continue to be one of the concepts leaders struggle with most, but also one of the most important skills to refine. As distributed workforces rely on effective communication across many time zones, focusing on these soft skills becomes even more necessary. And with 86% of employees feeling their employer does not hear them, the time to implement better reflective listening techniques is now.
Client relationships
Reflective listening can help because it builds stronger relationships, improves communication, and increases productivity. In client-facing roles, reflective listening builds trust and rapport with clients from the first sales meeting by demonstrating a genuine interest in their needs and concerns.
Additionally, by using reflective listening techniques within these marketing and sales roles, professionals can better understand their client's needs and concerns, leading to more effective problem-solving and better outcomes.
Internal communication
It can also allow individuals to better understand the perspectives of their colleagues, leading to more effective problem-solving and conflict resolution. When people take the time to actively listen to one another using the help of social technologies, it’s been found to increase collaboration and productivity by up to 25%.
Reflective listening also improves the overall quality of workplace conversations and meetings by encouraging active engagement and reducing misunderstandings. By using reflective listening techniques, individuals can better retain important information and use it to inform their decisions, leading to more effective outcomes.
Performance reviews
Reflective listening is especially important in performance reviews, where providing constructive feedback and addressing concerns is imperative to employee experience. By using reflective listening techniques, managers better understand their employees' perspectives and provide feedback tailored to their individual needs.
Effective reflective listening techniques
There are several techniques to improve reflective listening skills in the workplace. Here are some of the most effective approaches:
Paraphrasing vs. summarizing
Paraphrasing and summarizing, though often conflated, serve distinct functions in conversation. Paraphrasing is a communication technique by which the listener rephrases the speaker's message in their own words. The aim here is to capture the crux of the speaker's thoughts and to present any room for clarification or additional details. By paraphrasing, one shows active participation and attentive listening, making the speaker feel heard and understood.
For example, imagine you're in a meeting with a client, and they're describing their specific needs for a new product launch. By using reflective listening techniques like paraphrasing or asking clarifying questions, you can show the client that you are fully engaged and understand their concerns. This helps build trust and increases the chances that you will remember the details of the conversation, allowing you to tailor your product offering to better meet their needs.
Summarizing, on the other hand, involves a concise recapitulation of the speaker's main points and ideas. Rather than restating the information verbatim, summarizing hones in on the central theme or key takeaways. It's a tool for ensuring mutual comprehension and offers the speaker a chance to verify if their message has been correctly grasped.
When we use reflective listening techniques such as summarizing, we are more likely to remember important details because we have processed and interpreted the information in our own words. For instance, during a team meeting, you can better retain important information by summarizing the key points of a discussion, making it easier to recall later on.
Reflecting: A higher-order skill
Paraphrasing and summarizing are also connected to the practice of reflecting, yet they are not synonymous. Reflecting goes a step further, incorporating empathetic understanding and emotional resonance. It's not just about reproducing the content of a speaker's message, but also capturing the underlying feelings and implications.
To master these skills as effective communication techniques, one needs to actively listen, understand, and be able to articulate the speaker's perspective without imposing personal biases. A well-executed paraphrase, summary, or reflection can foster deeper connections, build trust, and promote open dialogue.
Asking clarifying questions
This involves asking open-ended questions to better understand the speaker's message, such as "Can you tell me more about that?" or "What do you mean by that?" This technique can ensure that you fully understand the speaker's message, and can also encourage the speaker to provide additional information.
By actively seeking out more information, we can better understand the message being conveyed and retain more of the details. For instance, if a colleague is explaining a complex process, by asking questions and seeking clarification, we can better understand the process and remember it later.
Expressing empathy
Expressing empathy involves acknowledging the speaker's feelings and concerns. This can include statements such as "I can see that you are frustrated," or "That sounds like a difficult situation." This technique can help build trust and rapport with the speaker, help de-escalate conflict, help us better remember important details, and encourage us to take action based on the information.
For example, if a colleague is expressing frustration about a particular process, by acknowledging their feelings and expressing empathy, we can better understand their perspective and remember to approach the situation with sensitivity.
Providing feedback
Providing feedback involves offering your thoughts or suggestions thoughtfully and constructively. This can include statements such as "Have you considered this approach?" or "I think we should focus on this issue first." This technique can help to move the conversation forward and encourage problem-solving.
How reflective listening increases employee retention
Retention remains a main focus for many companies as the cost of hiring a new employee is much higher—it can take up to nine months of that employee’s salary to replace them. In addition to benefits and perks, the way someone is seen and heard can greatly impact their feelings about work. To combat this, leaders should hone in on the soft skills that positively impact an employee’s workplace experience.
Reflective listening can help increase retention by allowing individuals to fully engage and focus on the message. When we actively listen to someone, it shows that we are interested in what they have to say, and this interest can help us better remember important details.
When employees feel disengaged, it's not just their motivation that suffers—it can also be a huge hit to a company's bottom line—costing companies billions of dollars each year. Prioritizing active listening and empowering team members to express themselves can help leaders improve employee experience and build a more inclusive and wise organization. Whether through workplace learning or new technology, listening should remain a top priority for leaders who want to create a more open, trusting relationship with their employees and ultimately boost productivity.
Tools that facilitate reflective listening in the workplace
Several tools can facilitate reflective listening in the workplace. Here are some tools that can improve those skills:
Note-taking apps
Note-taking apps like Supernormal, allow individuals to take detailed notes during meetings without the distraction of dividing their attention between note-taking and active listening. This can help individuals better focus on the message and retain critical information.
Video conferencing tools
Video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, allow individuals to communicate face-to-face even when they are not in the same physical location. This can improve communication and reduce misunderstandings by allowing individuals to pick up on verbal and nonverbal cues.
Whiteboards and other visual aids
Whiteboards and other visual aids can help improve retention by allowing individuals to visualize the message. This can be particularly helpful when discussing complex ideas or processes, as it can help individuals to better understand and remember the information.
Mind mapping tools
Mind mapping tools, such as MindMeister, can help you organize and visualize information in a way that’s easy to understand and remember. Individuals can better process and retain important details by creating a visual representation of the information.
Collaboration tools
Collaboration tools, such as Trello or Asana, can help team members work together more effectively by providing a central location for communication and task management. This can help reduce misunderstandings and improve productivity by ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Empower effective listening in the workplace with Supernormal
In today's fast-paced workplace, effective communication is more important than ever. Reflective listening is a powerful communication technique that helps individuals better understand the needs and concerns of their colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. By using active listening, reflection, and thoughtful responses, you can engage in more productive and meaningful conversations, leading to better outcomes and stronger relationships.
By using AI technology to automatically transcribe and summarize meetings, Supernormal empowers individuals to listen and retain important information. This can lead to more productive meetings, better communication, and improved outcomes.
Skip the note-taking and level up your reflective listening skills with Supernormal.