Cara Survive di Tempat Kerja Lewat Human Thinking (Part 3/3)

Active Listening and Empathy in Workplace Conversations

Active listening and empathy can improve workplace conversations. When a coworker shares a problem, listen before judging, interrupting, or offering a solution.

In the example discussed, an employee feels discouraged after a manager compares their performance with a colleague’s.

Active-Listening Strategies

• Listen in stages: Hear the person, give them your attention, understand their meaning, and then respond.
• Show attention: Match your facial expression and tone to the conversation. Avoid checking your phone or the clock, or doing other tasks.
• Use open body language: Maintain an attentive, welcoming posture and appropriate eye contact.
• Avoid assumptions and judgment: Ask whether the person wants to vent, receive advice, or work on a solution together.
• Let them finish: Avoid cutting them off, attacking their choices, or speaking over them.
• Notice verbal and nonverbal cues: Pay attention to what they say and what their expressions, posture, tone, feelings, needs, and hopes may convey.

Ways to Respond

• Use silence: A brief pause can give someone room to add context or reflect. Use it cautiously, as silence may make someone who is confused or highly emotional feel anxious.
• Paraphrase and reflect: Restate the person’s message and feelings in your own words to check your understanding.
• Clarify: Ask questions when details are unclear. Open-ended questions invite fuller answers; yes-or-no questions are more limited.
• Validate feelings: Acknowledge that a feeling is understandable without necessarily approving of harmful behavior.
• Summarize: Recap the main facts and emotions to reduce misunderstandings.
• Offer support with permission: Acknowledge the person’s frustration, then ask what they need or whether they’d like help finding a solution.

In the workplace case study, a helpful response would recognize the employee’s disappointment and frustration, acknowledge that they have tried hard, and ask whether they want to talk more or explore next steps.

Nonverbal cues—including facial expression, posture, gestures, voice, eye contact, and personal space—also affect trust and the tone of a conversation.

Presenters and Sources

• Presenter: Not identified in the subtitles.
• Named source: Dr. Jimmy Adrian