Listening is one of the most underrated skills in the workplace; leading figures in collaborative organisational change like Otto Scharmer from MIT, say it is the most necessary leadership skills in the world. Looking at our world of work at the moment you can perhaps see that this makes sense.
Not listening is one of the most organisationally expensive things that you can do! Listening impacts on job performance, motivation and inclusivity. Whereas not listening signals lack of importance, lack of care, disengagement, can enhance experiences of inequality. It is often read as disinterest in a person – in the workplace goals or challenges they are discussing.
In the meantime, let’s look at some of the research evidence:
Research by Kluger and Itzchakov (2022) examines the often-overlooked power of active listening in workplace dynamics. Their core argument is that listening is not a passive act but a catalyst for meaningful change, fostering a temporary state of “togetherness” between speaker and listener (in my view you know may when you experience this, it can be a felt sense in the room or an observable experience).This state they say, unlocks creative problem-solving, emotional clarity, and stronger interpersonal bonds—key drivers of organisational success. The study frames listening as a process where both people benefit when listening is done well, whether in supervision, mentoring, coaching, leadership, or peer work.
The case for listening
A key finding is that effective listening directly correlates with tangible outcomes: improved job performance, deeper job knowledge, and higher well-being. Kluger and Itzchakov propose that this happens because listening reduces defensiveness, encourages knowledge-sharing, and validates employees’ contributions. For example, leaders who listen well are more likely to inspire loyalty and innovation, while teams that prioritise listening solve conflicts more constructively.
The research also notes that listening’s impact varies depending on context—such as the relationship between speaker and listener or the organisation’s norms around communication.
What does listening look like?
The authors break down listening into ‘observable and unobservable dimensions’. Observable skills include maintaining eye contact, paraphrasing to confirm understanding, and asking open-ended questions—behaviours that signal ‘I’m engaged in this’. Unobservable skills involve genuine attention, empathy, and the intention to support the speaker’s growth or well-being.
These aspects combine to create a space where employees feel heard, which in turn boosts motivation, trust, and psychological safety.
I’ve really noticed in coaching, mentoring and team coaching learning, where practising active listening learning makes a huge visible difference. People say they feel heard they feel like talking more about the challenge and they feel psychologically safe so that they can dig deeper into the challenge and solutions.[i]
The Impact of Poor Listening
The research highlights that poor listening, such as interrupting or dismissing ideas, can erode the benefits above and actually harm the workplace culture.
In my personal experience, poor listening at work shuts down conversations, leaves people feeling devalued, is in reality missed opportunities for development for the individual or the organisation, contributes to inequality and discrimination at work, leads to less innovation, less problem-solving and leads to more stress.
In fact, not listening is a very expensive thing for an organisation to do…Here’s an example, imagine you have a long-term illness, like I of my coachees have had, that is covered by UK equality legislation. Imagine you experience your line manager not listening continually. You might experience this as discrimination. If you combine this with the reality of challenging job or career journey – more likely for those with long-term illness or disability that impacts on your career journey – then you have a recipe for a potential de-motivation or staff complaint.
How to listen as an organisation learning
The research also addresses practical applications. It suggests that organisations can enhance better staff listening through learning programmes that focus on active listening techniques (e.g., reflective responses, nonverbal cues) and structural changes (e.g., dedicated spaces for open dialogue). In my experience examples of these are team coaching reflective listening spaces, action learning and mentoring learning.
The researchers emphasise that listening is a skill that can be developed, not just an innate trait, and that even small improvements can have big effects on team cohesion, and productivity.
Ultimately, Kluger and Itzchakov’s work makes a strong case for treating listening as a strategic asset. By recognising its role in fostering connection, creativity, and resilience, many organisations can move beyond superficial communication to build cultures where every staff member’s voice is valued. The takeaway is clear: listening isn’t just ‘nice to have’—it’s a foundation for thriving workplaces.
If you want to take part in Team Coaching and enhance listening in your workplace, do reach out, andry@thelearningmoment.org
[i] Quotes about listening from the research:
“Overt signals of good listening include paraphrasing (Nemec et al. 2017), reflecting feelings (Nemec et al. 2017), asking relevant (and ideally open-ended) questions (Huang et al. 2017, Van Quaquebeke & Felps 2018), and asking for clarification or repetition where needed (Lycan 1977).
They may also include following a receptiveness recipe, such as hedging, that indicates a nonjudgmental attitude (Yeomans et al. 2020), keeping silent for a few seconds after the speaker completes their speech turn (Curhan et al. 2021), and, perhaps, asking sensitive questions (Hart et al. 2021).
Overt verbal or nonverbal signals may also indicate poor listening: changing the topic, using a tone that conveys impatience, offering unsolicited advice, dual tasking (e.g., looking at one’s smartphone), physically disengaging from the conversation, or raising an eyebrow may be a sign of poor listening, signalling that the listener doubts the speaker and is already preparing a response rather than focusing on the speaker’s message.”