You Need to Listen More to Lead Better – 5 Strategies for Leaders to Bridge the Communication Gap with Their Team

All leaders know that communication is essential to the success of an organization. But we often fail to bridge the gap between senior executives and our frontline team members to get a sense of what is happening across the organization. This disconnect is increasing in hospitality and healthcare, where we work in direct contact with customers or care for the health and well-being of patients. As a result, it causes problems such as:

• Leaders who do not have a clear or accurate understanding of the challenges of their frontline teams.
• Decisions made by the C-suite that do not effectively address those challenges.
• Mistrust between leaders and groups.
• The separation between culture and practice.

The solution is simple. As president and CEO of AtlantiCare Health System, I’ve learned that getting outside of my office, boardroom or senior leadership meeting and connecting directly with team members across the organization is what matters most. I spend time in our hospitals and practice areas, without an official agenda or itinerary, to learn about their work and their challenges.

Leadership axiom: Business moves at the speed of relationships.

Here are my five leadership principles for building relationships that have lasting and positive impact.

Related: Why Executives Need to Roll Up Their Sleeves and Work in the ‘Trenches’ of Their Companies

1. Be present at all times

When I first walked the hospital floors after my appointment, a certain nurse always couldn’t, no matter what time it was. It was clear that he was avoiding me.

When I went to the left to talk to him, he went to the right. When I went to the right, he went to the left. So, I kept coming back during his shifts. Eleven at night on a Saturday or 2 am on a weekday — it didn’t matter. She is a well-liked and well-respected nurse, and I knew her insight would be of great value. Then, finally, one night, he came and shook my hand. He said: “Okay, thanks for being here. Especially during the night shift. Let’s talk.”

Leadership axiom: Presence is the foundation of influence.

It can take time and persistence to establish a connection, but the commitment is worth it. So, make an effort, have skip-level meetings and walk the floor. What you hear will open your eyes.

2. Building trust and leading with emotional intelligence

My goal in establishing communication with the head nurse was about making a positive change and reducing the pain points the team was seeing, but I needed his to help understand those opportunities. Building trust through a transparent leadership style allows for a common understanding of the realities the team is facing, and what the leadership is trying to achieve.

Leadership axiom: Transparency builds trust, and trust builds good relationships.

Relying on outside consultants to tell leaders what team members are thinking is counterproductive to building relationships. I pride myself on being open about what drives the decision-making process and engaging people to co-create solutions. Yet trust can still be broken if transparency reveals irreparable problems, which is why the next point is so important.

Related: I Invited My Employees to ‘Ask Me Anything.’ Here’s What I Learned.

3. Reducing administrative burdens to empower groups

In health care, interpersonal communication is essential. However, team members’ responsibilities also include adhering to procedures and managing paperwork, which can be challenging at times – and many other industries have similar challenges.

Leadership axiom: A leader’s responsibility includes relieving unnecessary tasks.

Leaders must remove barriers that prevent team members from focusing on their important tasks. So, consider using these apps effectively:

• Investing in technology to make jobs and daily tasks easier.
• Eliminating box-ticking tasks like creating reports that are simply completed because “that’s how it’s always been done.”
• Issuing training modules unrelated to team members’ roles.
• Ending the culture of including everyone in meetings; include only those who need to be present. If information can be shared via email, a meeting is not required.

4. Creating forums to get stakeholder feedback

At AtlantiCare, active listening is the key to our success. Together with my leadership team, we are looking for opportunities to bring team members together, create forums and councils to share feedback and engage in honest discussions.

Leadership axiom: The only asset a leader has is the willingness of their team members to contribute.

Therefore, encourage your leadership team to conduct cross-level meetings to gain broad insights and strengthen organizational communication. But for these platforms to be successful, they must:

• Ensure that team members are involved in the process when implementing new programs or policies.
• Encourage team members to suggest what they could do differently or how to improve things.
• Include prior information in decision making.

5. Creating a culture of problem solving by always asking ‘why’

Active listening is fundamental to developing a culture of problem solving and continuous improvement. We need to challenge legacy thinking and processes by asking “why” – and then asking “why” again to fuel curiosity.

Leadership axiom: Solutions often lie within the group, not beyond it.

My job is not just to hear the challenges my team faces — it’s to empower them with the resources and support they need to solve those problems. So, I suggest:

• Showing the qualities and behaviors you expect from your team in achieving their goals.
• Providing unwavering support and resources to team members seeking knowledge and information.
• To encourage team members to plan for change as they are its creators.
• Creating a pipeline of future leaders who make problem solving part of their mindset.

When leaders truly listen, they understand the feelings, concerns and ideas behind the words. This deep level of engagement makes team members feel valued and heard, which in turn increases morale and productivity.

Related: Engage and Motivate Your Team by Talking to Them Outside of Formal Settings

An ongoing conversation

When the head nurse acknowledged my presence, I felt connected. And it is only because of this communication that we can now be open and honest with each other, even if it means calling out problems and challenges directly, to drive the necessary changes. If business is moving at the speed of a relationship, the first step is to be present. But you have to be consistent and lead by example. This will be the foundation of how to successfully integrate the C-suite and front line divisions.