The Listening Cycle: Closing the Loop

  • Author:
  • Denver, CO, USA
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:

  • (28)

Sara Sutton Fell, the founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility, and CEO and founder of FlexJobs, shares tips on how to negotiate workplace flexibility. Workplace flexibility is not just an issue that impacts working women; working men are also eager for solutions that help them balance work and home, and a new survey from Working […]

  • January 12, 2023
  • (43)

Mastering the Art of Emceeing: A Guide to Making Your Mark as a Great Host Introduction: The role of an emcee goes far beyond simply introducing speakers and keeping the event on schedule. A skilled emcee has the power to captivate an audience, set the tone, and elevate the overall experience for everyone involved. Whether […]

  • January 7, 2024
  • (8)

The Power of Motivational Sales Speakers: Keynote Themes, Takeaways, and Audience Impact In the fast-paced world of business, sales professionals face constant challenges that demand not only skill but also a resilient mindset. Motivational sales speakers play a critical role in empowering these professionals, providing the inspiration, tools, and strategies needed to achieve success. Whether […]

  • August 14, 2024
  • (44)

The Great Debate in Event Planning – Virtual, Hybrid, or In-Person? The event planning industry is buzzing with controversy: is the future of events virtual, hybrid, or in-person? As technology continues to evolve and attendee expectations shift, planners face the challenge of choosing formats that balance innovation, accessibility, and impact. This debate is not just […]

  • January 20, 2025
  • (3)

Michelle Curran: A Beacon of Leadership, Motivation, and Teamwork In the dynamic landscape of leadership and motivation, certain individuals emerge as beacons, guiding others through the intricacies of teamwork and motivation. Among these luminaries stands Michelle “Mace” Curran, a name synonymous with excellence in leadership, motivation, and teamwork. With a background steeped in military expertise […]

  • April 26, 2024
  • (15)

The Role of a Virtual Emcee, a guide is the one steering you on the right course – a firm hand halting you from treading where you shouldn’t, and it’s the instructions researched and tested to provide you with the best results too. Therefore, a guide is also intrinsically necessary for the optimization of an […]

  • January 3, 2023
  • (39)

How the Perfect Keynote Speaker Can Elevate Your Corporate Event into a Showstopper Let’s face it—corporate events can sometimes feel like just another day at the office. But with the right keynote speaker, your event can go from routine to remarkable. A great speaker can light up the room (or screen!), inspire your audience, and […]

  • January 13, 2025
  • (5)

Connection with someone takes more than common interests of What Makes People Click. It also takes this. Do you know who created the world’s first social network? It wasn’t Zuckerberg, Dorsey, or Tom from MySpace. It was the person who kindled the first fire. The fire’s loud crackling, billowing smoke, and beautiful orange glow attracted others […]

  • April 18, 2023

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025.  Designed using Voxel

Speakers Inc Logo 2024
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.