Managers listen carefully to their staff. They hear what the employees say, feel which emotions are at play, where they come from, and can accept what they hear. However, suppose the interaction is examined in concrete terms. In that case, it appears that employees find that their managers often 'listen too analytically' and have a questioning way of listening that hinders actual contact experience. This is apparent from research among 40 managers and 175 team members in collaboration with Nive (Dutch Association of Managers).
Initially, the employees feel heard, but looking back, they experience the contact more as 'examined.' This is reflected in the fact that the manager listens more understanding and thereby understands less how the employee is feeling. A story from the private sphere is more appealing, and people are more open to emotions than when it concerns work-related situations.
Listening should no longer be placed in the 'soft skills' category. The manager must be open to what is happening and attach possible consequences to it. A minority of managers take a more integrative approach and bring what they hear into dialogue
About the author
Based in Odesa, Ukraine, Anastasiia Shtankova is a trilingual (English, Russian, Ukrainian) graduate of the Sukhomlinsky Mykolayiv National University. For as long as she can remember, Nastya has had a passion for writing. As the content manager for Finance4Learning, she manages to combine business with the pleasure of writing. She is responsible for generating, curating and marketing content relevant to the company’s target audiences.
About Finance4Learning
Finance4Learning is a Benelux-based provider of student finance helping individuals realise ambitions and educators drive sales. Finance4Learning typically finances students following upskilling or reskilling courses in e.g. Business Analytics, CyberSecurity, Data Science, Digital Marketing, Growth Hacking, Leadership, UX/UI Design and Web Development. Courses are often provided in a bootcamp format. Finance4Learning is backed by two very reputable organisations - Banco Santander (no. 4 in the world) and the European Investment Fund - and provides access to a €50 million learning & development fund on an exclusive basis.
