Why Listening Could Be Your Workplace Superpower

We talk all day, every day, but how often do we truly listen? At the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) 2025 Fall Think Tank session “Listening as Intervention: The Practice and Power of Listening in the Workplace,” experts, including Rita Patel, a Hylant Senior Health Strategist, explored why listening is not just a nice-to-have skill. It’s a game-changer for performance, well-being, and workplace culture.

Listening, with a Big “L”

As facilitator Wendy Lynch, Ph.D., explained, “Big ‘L’ listening means giving someone your full attention, seeking to understand, and affirming their value.”

Sounds simple, right? Yet research shows most of us recall only about 23% of a five-minute conversation. Distractions, time pressure, and even our own expertise often get in the way. Listening is not just about surveys or quick check-ins; it’s about creating a safe space where people feel heard.

Why Feeling Heard Matters

Diane Bergeron, Ph.D., from the Center for Creative Leadership, shared a powerful insight from her research in the workplace. For people in the workplace, being heard means seeing action. If nothing changes, they conclude you did not listen.  

Dr. Bergeron’s research shows that when leaders listen, employees feel psychologically safe, which in turn drives innovation and engagement. Even small steps, like escalating an idea or explaining why something can’t change, make a big difference. In fact, her study found that employees felt more listened to by a poor listener who took action than by a great listener who did nothing.

The Link Between Listening and Performance

Sonya Looney, TEDx speaker and world champion mountain biker, introduced the concept of “mattering” at the session. She said, “Mattering is the experience of feeling valued and adding value.”

Active listening is a key ingredient. When people feel heard, they’re more motivated, creative, and resilient. The speaker shared that a one-point increase on a “feeling heard” scale can reduce burnout by 42%. She also reminded session attendees that listening requires presence, saying, “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being attuned to the people around you.”

Strategies to Make People Feel Heard

Listening is not just about words; it’s about meaning. Stories and narratives reveal the complexity of the human experience in ways that surveys and data points do not, because stories are how we make sense of the world. They carry our emotions, and emotions drive behavior, thoughts, and experiences.

When people share stories, they feel seen as whole individuals, not just as roles or metrics. This deepens trust and connection, which are critical for psychological safety and engagement. Rita Patel shared the following impactful prompts and exercises during the session, along with some results:

Write the Story of Your Name

Exercise participants wrote about the origin or meaning of their name. One person said, “I never think about myself—this made me pause.” Another shared, “I learned something new about my best friend.” This simple exercise sparked empathy and a sense of connection.

Joy and Worry Walls

In a busy hospital hallway, people anonymously completed the statements “I am joyful because…” and “I am worried because…” Staff, patients, and visitors stopped to read and contribute their thoughts. They revealed hidden stressors and bright spots, creating a sense of community and giving leadership actionable insights.

Lexicon Maps

Teams explored what abstract terms like “work-life balance” really mean by listing words, sensory experiences, and metaphors. Leaders discovered that employees’ definitions varied widely, enabling them to design policies that better reflected people’s lived experiences.

Finish the Story

In a hospital setting, staff were given the beginning of a story about a patient experience and asked to finish it. When the real family member later shared what actually happened, it sparked powerful conversations and led to action items about assumptions, perspective, empathy, and care.

Fill in the Blank

Participants were asked to write a customer story using the “Mad Libs” format or “If only ___, then I would ___.”
These prompts uncovered barriers and aspirations that traditional surveys would miss, helping teams reframe challenges into opportunities.

Prompts are invitations. They open the door to conversations we didn’t know we needed.

The Bottom Line

Listening isn’t a soft skill. It’s a critical skill for strategic advantage. It builds trust, fuels innovation, and even improves health outcomes. As Dr. Lynch stated, “When you do listen, it matters a lot.”

Ready to Integrate Listening with a Big “L”?

Start small. In your next meeting, pause and really listen without multitasking or rushing to respond. Ask open-ended questions. Reflect back what you heard. Then, take one action that demonstrates your appreciation for what was shared. Want more ideas? Explore creative listening exercises, train your team on active listening, and make “mattering” part of your culture. When people feel heard, they don’t just stay; they thrive, and so does your organization.

If you’d like to discuss creating a health and well-being program that will positively impact your employees’ lives and your business, let’s talk.

Related Reading: Reducing Relational Waste to Boost Workplace Wellness

The above information does not constitute advice. Always contact your employee benefits broker or trusted advisor for insurance-related questions.