In the vast majority of workplaces, the emphasis is on how to speak confidently and convincingly. There is almost no stress and training on listening to your colleagues. And most employees seem to value a boss who is sympathetic, supportive, and willing to listen to their questions and complaints.

The main emphasis in research studies and organizations has been on the importance of giving the employee a sense that his employer is willing to listen to him. Much less emphasis has been placed on the issue of listening among peers. 

Employees who feel that they have a sympathetic ear from the colleagues at their level report less intention to leave and less mental burnout, according to a new study conducted in the human services department at the University of Haifa. said Dr. Guy Itzchakov, the study’s lead researcher. “It contributes to a sense of connection and offers many benefits both for the speaker and listener and for the organization as a whole,” he added.  

“Listening ability between colleagues is everyone’s ability to give place to what the other colleague is saying, to pay attention to it. This includes listening to a dilemma or problem at work and social support on non-work-related issues. Listening ability can lead to improved performance, increased satisfaction, creativity, and a sense of belonging in the workplace,” said Itzchakov, who published the research in the journal Human Resource Management and was assisted by Dr. Neta Weinstein of Reading University in England. 

According to a recent study of employees in the US, most employees are dissatisfied with the quality of listening in their organization. “Managers see poor interpersonal listening as a problem that can lead to a decrease in performance and productivity,” he went on. Dr. Netta Weinstein of the University of Reading in the UK is examining whether training aimed at improving peer pressure can improve employee relations and whether improving those relationships has implications for mental burnout and employee departure intentions.

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The study involved two intervention studies in different organizations. The first study was conducted on 51 employees at a high-tech company, with the experimental group composed of employees who had undergone 12 hours of training that improves listening among employees. The control group involved employees of the same organization who were on the waiting list (and did not receive any training). The second study was conducted on 73 employees in an insurance company in the same format as the first study, with the experimental group undergoing 15-hour listening training. The control group received other professional training (lectures for professional development) that did not include listening. 

The study results show that employees who underwent listening training reported a greater sense of closeness to their co-workers than people who did not undergo listening training. It was also found that there was a decrease in mental burnout and a reduction in intentions to leave work among the employees who underwent listening training. “By improving employees listening abilities, organizations can improve interpersonal relationships at work and even reduce a significant aspect of employees’ sense of burnout,” the researchers said. 

Workers’ organizations must develop and train co-workers’ ability to listen in the workplace. “Listening is a cure without side effects,” said the researchers.”