Teach your team to listen — really listen
We retain only 25-50% of what we hear. Active listening is the foundation of every other soft skill — and the one most people never formally train.
What is active listening?
Active listening is the practice of fully engaging with a speaker — understanding their message, reading their emotions, and responding thoughtfully rather than reactively. It means resisting the urge to formulate your response while someone is still talking, asking clarifying questions, and confirming understanding before moving on.
Why it matters at work
Managers who are rated as good listeners see 30% higher employee engagement scores. Active listening prevents the miscommunications that cost teams time and trust. In 1-on-1s, it's the difference between a manager who people open up to and one who only hears what they want to hear.
Common challenges
Interrupting
In fast-paced work environments, people jump in before others finish. This signals that their ideas matter more, shuts down quieter voices, and often means key information gets missed.
Formulating responses while others talk
Most people listen to respond, not to understand. While someone is explaining a problem, their colleague is already drafting a rebuttal — missing nuances that could change the entire conversation.
Missing subtext
What people say and what they mean aren't always the same. A report who says 'I'm fine' might be overwhelmed. A client who says 'interesting' might mean 'no.' Active listeners catch what's not being said.
How Uply builds this skill
Uply's daily scenarios present situations where active listening is the deciding factor — 1-on-1s with hesitant reports, client calls with hidden objections, and team meetings where the real issue isn't on the agenda. Each question trains your team to spot the signals that most people miss.
Because these scenarios are grounded in real workplace dynamics, the listening skills transfer directly to the conversations your team has every day.
Try a sample question
During a 1-on-1, your direct report says 'Everything's fine' but seems hesitant, avoids eye contact, and gives shorter answers than usual. What do you do?
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