Why People Aren’t Really Listening (And What Great Leaders Do Instead)

Getting the task right does not mean the person felt heard

A client explains what they need, then mentions that they cannot afford a repeat of what happened last quarter. Your team member records the task and the deadline, but misses the worry behind the request.

The work gets done. The client still feels unheard, because the concern that needed attention was never acknowledged. What follows can look like a delivery problem: rework, another call, or time spent rebuilding trust.

Before treating this as a lack of care, it is worth checking what the person understood. Did they leave knowing why the task mattered, or only what they needed to do?

The way you explain something may be part of the problem

If someone takes in the main point with clients and colleagues but keeps missing it with you, look at how you are delivering it. The important point may be buried among several others, mentioned at the end, or lost because the conversation moves too quickly for them to ask a question.

A useful place to start is to put the most important point first and make its importance clear. That gives the listener a way to sort the detail that follows, rather than leaving them to guess which part carries the most weight.

Give someone a listening habit they can practise

Telling someone to listen better names the frustration without necessarily helping them change. To do that, you need to understand what is happening while the other person is talking and give them something specific to practise in the next conversation.

In this episode of Lead to Grow, you will get:

• A way to work out why someone keeps missing the main point, even when they seem to be listening.
• What to check in your own communication before putting the problem down to them.
• A practical habit to help your team confirm what matters before they start the work.

Watch or listen using the YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts links above.

About Lead to Grow

Lead to Grow explores the people principles behind business performance. Hosted by Tommy Sim, Managing Director of Inject HR, the podcast offers practical approaches to the conversations, decisions and people issues managers face at work.