Dealing with the Employee that Doesn't Listen

There are many types of employee issues at work.  One issue that is very frustrating to leaders is the employee that doesn't listen - to instructions, at staff meetings, to the customer, and to you.  These are the people that seem to hear just part of the message and sometimes they are such master manipulators that they have you wondering if you really said what you think you said.  These also tend to be the people that hear just enough to do damage.


Rather than beating yourself up all the time thinking you obviously are not a good communicator.  

Or resorting to treating them like a grade-schooler with comments such as "Do you have your listening ears on?" try a few of these steps when dealing with a poor listener.  Actually, these steps are just good routines to get into anyway.


1.  Verbally communicate very directly with this person, especially when providing instructions.


2.  Ask them to repeat back to you their understanding of what you just discussed.  


3.  Clarify anything they didn't include when repeating back to you.


4.  Follow up with an email that clearly articulates what your discussion was about including specific steps and deadlines.   


5.  Hold them accountable.  Print the email and have it in front of you at your next meeting.  Whatever you do, make sure you save the email.  


Here is an example of an "after the conversation" email below.


Joe, 


As we discussed today your assignment is to merge the three current sales reports into one report.  The new report should include all of the date that is currently in the three separate reports. After creating the new report, I'd like to review it before you start on the next step of creating charts to visually display the data.  The combined report should be ready for my review by Thursday, March 2.  


When we met today you verbalized that you understood the tasks and instructions.  If something has changed or you have questions about this assignment, please let me know immediately.  I will set up a brief meeting for us twice a week to review your progress and answer questions.  Our first meeting will be Monday, February 15.


Your Supervisor

"There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves."

— Albert Guinon

At least with written documentation you won't think you are crazy and you have eliminated the "I didn't understand" excuse.  If necessary you can print it and use it with the employee in your next meeting.  


This doesn't mean you should have to write down everything you say to this person.  Steps 1-3 will work for daily conversation and after a while they will get tired of having to tell you what you said.  At the minimum you can feel good about your communication.  And if it doesn't get better, see my blog post on dealing with performance issues.  


Good luck and be sure to put your listening ears on today : )


Mari