Shut Up and Listen: The Lost Art of Paying Attention
Ever been in a meeting where someone asks a question that was literally answered ten seconds ago? Yeah, me too. It’s like watching someone trip over their own feet in slow motion—painful, predictable, and completely avoidable.
More and more often, I'm in meetings, and people are just not listening or paying attention.
They come with only set agendas, one track point to bring.
Whatever happened to different teams building the project?
The thing is, listening isn’t just hearing sounds while you mentally draft your next email or daydream about lunch. Real listening—the kind that actually makes you smarter, more efficient, and less of a liability in a meeting—requires effort. And frankly, most people are terrible at it.
It is referred to as active listening because it involves taking active steps to ensure understanding. For instance:
Reducing or eliminating distractions
Moving closer to the speaker
Restating the speaker's words in your own words to verify understanding
Asking questions to get the speaker to share more details
Active listening is a vital part of working with others, it ensures you fully comprehend what the speaker is mentioning and respond in appropriate ways. Whether it's employees, trainers, or managers everyone in the organisation needs to practice active listening.
Employees should use active listening to understand their coworkers' challenges or managers' instructions.
Managers can demonstrate active listening skills by paraphrasing an employee's question and then responding back in a way that makes them feel heard and understood.
Step 1: Shut Your Mouth
Obvious, right? But nope, some people treat conversations like a game of verbal ping-pong, waiting for their turn to speak instead of absorbing what’s being said. Next time you’re in a discussion, try this wild experiment: pause before responding.
Let the words sink in.
You might just avoid saying something dumb.
Step 2: Stop Thinking About Your To-Do List
Your brain is a chaotic mess of grocery lists, unread emails, and that awkward thing you said in 2014. But when someone’s speaking, your job is to clear the mental clutter and focus. Otherwise, you’ll be the person nodding along while secretly having no idea what’s happening.
Step 3: Check Your Comprehension Before You Embarrass Yourself
Nodding aggressively doesn’t equal understanding. If something isn’t clicking, ask a quick clarifying question. It’s far better than pretending you know what’s going on and getting called out later.
So many times, the Project Manager gives direct instructions, a fundamental scope change, or SHEQ coaching, and then it doesn't get fed down through the team, so the risk gets heightened and the risk level more significant!
Check, double check, and triple check before you add to the issue!
Active listening isn’t just about the other person; it’s an act that empowers you to improve your sense of self as well. Listening is a humbling experience that requires setting aside problems and concerns for that of another person. By connecting with another person through active listening, you can better explore shared experiences and struggles.
Almost every argument or conflict stems from misunderstanding one’s point of view. Almost every misunderstanding comes from missing someone’s main points or misinterpreting their words. Creating time and space for focused communication can help to avoid the friction that sometimes arises in the workplace.
Step 4: Retain Key Details—Not Just the Funny Bits
We all remember the joke someone made in a meeting but forget the actual action points. Train your brain to lock in the important stuff: deadlines, responsibilities, and why everyone keeps talking about the Henderson report.
The strawberries and biscuits were not relevant either, but somehow, that was the part everyone remembers. You all didn't listen to each other or retain the important part of the message.
Step 5: Summarise and Repeat
A simple trick: Repeat back a summary of what you’ve heard. It helps confirm you got the message and makes you look like a genius who actually pays attention. Example:
Boss: “We need the quarterly report by Friday.
”You: “Got it, The quarterly report is due Friday.
”Boss (internally): Wow, they actually listen. Incredible.
Why: Increased Productivity
Focusing on one task at a time will always improve your work productivity. The same is true with listening to someone. A client may have a lengthy ask, including numerous deliverables and deadlines. Active listening ensures that you capture the key points, which can save you time when you have action items to carry out.
Positive Work Atmosphere
Which environment would you prefer to work in: one in which your leaders and coworkers listen to you, or one in which you feel ignored? Work becomes less stressful and isolating in cultures that encourage empathy and listening to one another. A community that promotes active listening is bound to create a more positive and collaborative atmosphere.
Final Thought: Listening Makes You Stand Out
Most people are so wrapped up in their own thoughts that real listening has become a superpower. Be the person who actually pays attention. It’ll make you sharper, more efficient, and way less likely to ask a question that was literally just answered.
Now, go forth and listen like a pro.
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