Here is an excerpt from an article by Aparna M. for LinkedIn Pulse. To read the complete article and check out others, please click here.

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The need to be heard is a basic human need. Listening is about acknowledging this need – it doesn’t mean agreeing to or endorsing the speaker’s views. Listening is one of the most important qualities for a leader. A leader who listens inspires confidence in employees and earns their respect. Even if she doesn’t agree with the speaker. Listening benefits leaders and organizations in more ways than it benefits employees. Employees like to be heard because it makes them feel valued and appreciated. The opposite is also true. When you show people you don’t care about their opinion, they feel taken for granted and perform below their potential. Organizations that promote and practice a culture of listening, achieve much more than just good employee morale.

Builds trust: Listening is the foundation on which trust is built. People who listen without interrupting, dismissing or multitasking, are being respectful and showing they care about what the other person thinks. When practiced consistently, ‘being’ and ‘showing’ builds trust faster than ‘saying’. Employees who feel heard will not only trust their colleagues and leaders but will in all likelihood themselves become better listeners.

Most visible indicator of sincerity: Sincerity, like faking, can be spotted from a mile. Fake listeners appear to listen but their responses make it clear, they’re still only listening to themselves. They will frequently use phrases such as “I agree with you but…”, “I hear you, however…” or something similar in all conversations. They believe this will assure the speaker that they have given due consideration to what the speaker said. A genuine listener asks questions before making up her mind whether to agree or disagree. Engaging a person in dialogue shows the other that you are curious to know more and are sincere in your efforts at understanding a different point of view before agreeing to or rejecting it. People can tell whether their viewpoint has been carefully considered before being rejected or just summarily dismissed.

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Ironically, the revolution in communication technology has caused the tragic demise of listening. Communication today is becoming increasingly a narcissistic obsession about being seen and heard.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Aparna M. is Assistant Manager, GSS Corporate Communication at Ernst & Young.