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What ‘Noise’ Are We Really Trying To ‘Cancel’?

Leaders should listen fully and be approachable to foster better communication. How can you improve your listening to better meet the needs of those around you?

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On a recent trip, I was sat amongst many others waiting for a flight; as I pulled out my iPad to watch a show, I flicked through the different functions on my earphones: transparency mode, noise cancellation mode ‘on’ and ‘off’. Often on transportation I choose the noise cancellation feature to block out background noise to better listen to a podcast or my music. But having automatically enabled this mode and whilst deciding what to watch, I instead chose to close the case of my iPad, switch off my earphones and disconnect to technology. I quickly found myself listening to the different noises of the airport terminal and, shortly after, was approached and asked if I’d recommend the book that was sat on top of my bag: ‘How to Listen’, by Oscar Trimboli.

 

We started to discuss the importance of listening to others and feeling ‘listened to’. When I boarded the plane, I further considered the power of listening and being approachable.

The three different modes on my earphones got me thinking about three different types of listening.

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Noise Cancellation 'On'

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When there are things to get done and the pressure is on, I often use noise cancellation mode to increase my focus and productivity, but I am completely unapproachable and unaware of the things going on around me, unless being nudged physically. Sometimes this can be what our listening is like, we may be hearing words, but we may be too distracted or otherwise to hear the message the individual or the team are trying to share. Sometimes we may be so set in our ways of thinking or working that we neglect or shut down opposite thoughts or opinions. Often a ‘know it all’ attitude can contribute to this and can be an individual’s biggest downfall. Noise cancellation listening could be seen as unapproachable and, ultimately, self-centred.

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Transparency mode

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The in-between feature on my headphones is titled transparency mode and enables you to still hear others around you but does an excellent job at reducing the background noise. Sometimes this can be what our listening is like, we may seem approachable, and we take the time to listen to what others are saying but our focus or mindset is still elsewhere, and we are trying to reduce the background noise. In our quest for efficiency, we try to do multiple things at once and listening is a skill we think we can multitask with. When we listen in this mode, we can hear the words people are saying, but not the words they are not saying, we aren’t picking up on body language and communication is probably quite one-sided; we’re listening just enough to look like we’re listening.

 

Noise Cancellation ‘Off’

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Finally, the ‘off’ function which enables all the outside sounds to be heard. There is no block to your approachability and even with sounds still playing you can hear everything going on around you. When we listen with barriers turned off, we are available to hear everything, including the parts we may feel we don’t want to hear, but are valuable. Listening to body language and the message behind the words is much more difficult without being present and active in our listening. This likely means reserving our perceptions and opinions and listening to the way the individual or team are saying things, how they feel about what they’re saying. Listening in this was does not devalue your opinions or insights but increases your awareness and understanding of the way others are thinking and feeling about the situation. Just as Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, listening isn’t about waiting for others to stop speaking so that you can start.

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Levels to listening

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There are levels to listening and I’m not saying that there is an answer to becoming a perfect listener. Situations can prevent us from being a full-focused listener, and when this is the case, it is important that we communicate effectively, “Now’s not the best time, can we speak at 14:00 where I can be more present” - much more effective than just poorly listening in the moment. Being approachable and remembering that we all need our leaders to be good listeners.

Leaders that listen can empower and encourage others to work collaboratively and increase motivation amongst the whole team. The skill of listening is something we can all learn to do better and is something many leaders say they wished they learnt earlier - a message we frequently hear on our After Dinner Leadership podcast.

 

Effective listening can unlock doors we may have thought were locked - so, what listening mode do you frequently embody, and what can you change to better attune into the needs of those around you?

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