How to Get Your Employees To Listen To You

There is nothing worse than not being heard. The worst part is that when you’re not heard, it’s easy to get frustrated and shut down. This can lead to a downward spiral of disengagement and lack of motivation.

How do you get your employees to listen to you? How do you get them to take action? Here’s a secret. It’s not about how loud you talk, but how often.

The average employee does not believe that something is going to happen unless you say it 7 times. You have to say it, write it, and reinforce it. If you’re looking at how you really institute change it is absolutely through repetition.

One of the biggest challenges leaders face is getting their employees to listen to them. When you’re having trouble being heard, try these tips:

Do a better job at listening yourself. When you’re trying to make yourself heard, it can be easy to forget that there are two sides to effectively communicating with someone — speaking and listening. Take some time before you speak up and really listen to what your employees are saying.

Be clear about your message. If your employees don’t understand what you’re trying to say, they aren’t going to listen to you. Be as clear as possible about the message you want to send and make sure it’s something that will resonate with them (be sure to do research on your audience).

Make yourself available for questions. There’s no such thing as a dumb question, but sometimes employees are afraid of what their co-workers or boss will think if they ask one. It’s crucial that they feel like they can come to you with questions or concerns without fear of judgment or ridicule.