Improve Your Company Culture: Listening Circle
A tough economy leaves some scarves on people. It doesn’t matter if you lost your job or you were lucky to keep it. You probably experienced grief, anxiety, or that strange feeling that your position is not as stable as you previously thought.
Feedback time
I think it’s important to address these feelings and talk through them with those who are also affected. The end of the year is usually the time for getting feedback at the workplace.
Have you ever felt that the feedback you got from your manager hurt your performance and your attitude towards the company?
Providing and even receiving helpful feedback is a skill.
If you want to give constructive feedback, you have to use your active listening skills and communicate openly.
What are those?
Active listening
Active listening requires the listener to pay close attention to what is being communicated verbally and nonverbally. If you want to listen actively, you should interpret not only the content of what is being said but also the emotions presented, the attitude, and the speaker's body language.
When you respond, you respond to the feeling of what was said, not the information. Keep eye contact, mirror the other person's body posture, and be comfortable with being silent. Remember, these tips shouldn’t be forced or faked. It has to be genuine.
It also helps to remove distractions from the environment. Depending on the context, you may desire to set up an environment that conveys peace and quiet. Putting away distractions or moving to a quieter place would be helpful if you could.
Open communication
Open communication is when people can openly express their thoughts and ideas to one another. This can make employees feel more valuable to the company, which may improve employee loyalty and productivity.
Open communication is important because it can improve engagement, promote inclusion, and enhance trust.
To give constructive feedback, you also need to have empathy. The best way to practice those skills is through listening circles.
Listening circle
A listening circle is a session where people can share their perspectives and experiences on a topic in a safe space where their voices can be heard.
An attentive and non-judgemental listening session will make a difference. The goal is to help your colleague grow and reflect. It’s important to remember that you are in the same boat, rowing towards a shared goal.
It’s very effective in stressful times.
A listening circle can make employees more likely to cooperate with other colleagues, as they become more interested in sharing their attitudes, but not necessarily in trying to persuade others to adopt them, and more open to considering other points of view.
It’s important never to pretend that you listen. If your mind was distracted, apologize and ask them to repeat.
Remember to remove distractions because nothing should interrupt meetings — calls, texts, phone checkings, looking asides, small comments, or quick evaluations.
If you know an empath or a highly sensitive person in your team, try to get help from them. We are naturally good listeners.
Would you add anything to this piece? Have some questions?
Feel free to comment, and I’ll be happy to help.
Thank you for reading!
Take care!
The Witty Witch