By Juan Pablo Lagos Lazcano – Chile

One of the skills that, in my humble opinion, is most urgently needed in daily life and within organizations is the ability to truly listen. And by this, we do not mean the mere act of directing our ears toward someone while our minds are busy thinking about lunch. Rather, we refer to a skill rooted in focused attention, respect, genuine interest, and understanding—what we know as active listening.

According to Gómez (2023), active listening means “paying full attention to the person who is speaking, understanding their words, perceiving their emotions, and showing genuine interest in what they are saying.” To properly develop this skill, it is essential to cultivate a kind of mental silence—directing our attention away from our own thoughts and judgments in order to receive the other person’s message as it is delivered, maximizing our comprehension of it.

The Role of Active Listening in Organizations

How does this skill influence organizations? We must begin from the premise that communication—the act of expressing ideas through words, gestures, and expressions—is fundamental to maintaining the order and structure of any organization. Therefore, effective communication is not just about delivering a memo to employees or being aware of a workplace issue. It also involves paying the right kind of attention to fully understand the meaning and impact of those communicative acts. This makes active listening a powerful tool for identifying problems early and enabling timely intervention.

Practicing Active Listening

A practical way to strengthen active listening can be summarized in three steps: listen first, express your opinion second, and comment last.

One of the most common mistakes when trying to practice active listening is speaking more than we listen. Ideally, we should focus on allowing the other person to express themselves fully, encouraging them to share as much as possible so we can understand their situation in all its complexity—connecting their message to its causes, emotions, and consequences.

Next, we should confirm our understanding through questions about key aspects of what was said. This not only helps clarify the situation but also makes the other person feel that we are genuinely trying to understand them. Finally, we can offer concise, constructive feedback. Here, using validation strategies can be helpful—but it is important to remember that validating an emotion or complaint does not necessarily mean approving a behavior.

For instance, if a salesperson abruptly ends a conversation with a customer because they felt disrespected, this reaction is understandable from an emotional standpoint. However, from a professional perspective, it would be advisable to suggest alternative strategies, such as calmly asking whether something the employee did caused discomfort, or immediately requesting support from a supervisor.

Active listening, when practiced consistently, becomes far more than a communication technique—it transforms into a tool for empathy, connection, and effective problem-solving within organizations.

Reference:
Gómez, F. (2023). Te oigo, pero también te escucho: la importancia de la escucha activa en la gestión de la atención al usuario en bibliotecas. Desiderata, 1(21), 144–148.