The Listening Cycle: Closing the Loop
- Author:
- Word Count: 454
Read the news article
Over the last four weeks, I’ve elaborated on what I call the Closing the Loop. You can find the articles here. This consists of:
- Step 1: Recognizing the Unsaid – Unspoken things in your culture’s organization to recognize that your people aren’t telling their entire truth.
- Step 2: Seeking to Understand – Leaning in to understand someone’s perspective and really hearing them.
- Step 3: Decode – Taking time to reflect, investigate, and then ponder about the feedback you have been given and what to do about it.
- Step 4: Act – Acting upon what you’ve heard, so your people know their voices are powerful and that you will do something about the feedback that is given.
- Step 5: Closing the Loop – Connecting the dots by sharing what you’ve heard and the actions you’re taking.
I think, often, leaders don’t put in the time to truly learn how to listen because it may seem primal. But, the truth is, truly listening is something most leaders don’t know how to do.
Think about it – have you ever had a manager who really listened to you?
In this video, I break down what it means to connect the dots from the very beginning of the process to the very end.
Plus, I tell you about the extremely rewarding results that closing the loop has.
Hint, hint: it makes team members feel valued, heard, and included because they know that their feedback was taken into consideration and actions were taken as a result.
The Listening Cycle: Closing the Loop
I want to challenge you to write down (or think) about a time when:
You felt that your manager truly listened to you
You felt like your voice was not heard
Let’s think about how this made you feel.
Now that you have these two distinct feelings in mind, you will better understand how important completing the five steps in the listening process is.
You wouldn’t want to make someone feel like you did when your voice was not heard, right?
Of course not! So, I encourage you to take the initiative and create a Culture of Listening in your organization.
Heather R Younger is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm.
After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over:
When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work for Closing the Loop.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and view WeSpeak Global
Further articles you may enjoy:
- (7)
Celebrating Women’s Month New York 2024: Unveiling the Empowering Keynote Speakers for New York’s Premier Conference Event Women’s Month New York 2024: As we embark on the journey of Women’s Month 2024, the city of New York is gearing up to host an extraordinary conference event that promises to inspire, empower, and celebrate the achievements […]
- March 4, 2024
- (17)
Captains Log 13th -17th June 29 05’474 N 128 01’447W Pacific Ocean Milestones-The waterline/ Hatches & rouge waves/MOB take 2 -Injuries /Slow is pro / It’s all shifting / Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs / Story of the clever turd! / Shifting spaces / Into the light.. Breakthrough/ Flicker on! / Shifting goalposts/ Threading the needle/ […]
- December 21, 2022
- (47)
Looking to motivate a group of employees, students, or even donors? Speakers Inc has a wide selection of New York Motivational Speakers that you can book for any event: business functions, school assemblies, graduations, charitable fundraisers, and more. Find one in New York today! New York City is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the […]
- December 20, 2022
- (8)
We are all spending a lot of time inside our homes. How much do you REALLY need? For those whose homes are a disorganized clutter zone, this could be stressful and result in more anxiety than isolating already brings to the table. If you are constantly tripping over stuff on the floor, and having to […]
- December 20, 2022
- (41)
Meet Bronwyn and Duncan Hesketh chat with Duane Rockwell about who Speakers Inc and WeSpeak Global are, the history, why they do what they do and more. Bronwyn Hesketh always said that she has THE coolest job on the planet. She gets to work with extraordinary human beings on a daily basis, connecting them with audiences […]
- January 2, 2023
- (11)
Connection is even more crucial now in the ‘time of COVID’! This guide is for leaders or parents or any human! Humans not only die when they feel lonely, isolated, alone or that they don’t belong, but those conditions are the source of almost every mental health problem we experience. It is imperative we stay connected – […]
- June 27, 2023
- (10)
Speakers Inc, San Diego has available to present Employee Engagement and Business Culture Speakers to open or close your next Salt Lake City, Utah event or conference. Speakers Inc, San Diego is a leading speaker platform that brings you excellent employee engagement and culture speakers that delivers keynotes over 500 times per year. Our culture […]
- January 17, 2023
- (2)
Hey there, are you a white person wondering what to do as an ally for Black people right now? A lot of my white friends have been asking, you’re not alone. I’ve received several questions from friends wanting to do something so I thought I’d compile these all on one place. This is the work […]
- March 10, 2023
