Listening in team meetings – what is the team leader’s influence?

Purpose: (1) To identify and evaluate the types of listening at team meetings and (2) to identify the specific listening behaviors of team leaders and to assess the influence of their behavior on the team listening climate. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted 29 observations in face-to-face team meetings, 18 face-to-face interviews and ten face-to-face focus groups with team members and team leaders of eight teams from two high-tech organizations. Findings: When team members evaluated the listening in team meetings positively and their team leader’s listening behavior positively, two other listening behaviors were evident: (1) team members spoke solo for a relatively longer duration and (2) team leaders interrupted less often. Research limitations/implications: A limitation in this study relates to our inability to video record the meetings. Second, based on Nichols (2009) and Rogers (1951), we referred to all speaking interruptions as an indication of the quality of the listening in team meetings. Future research should carefully consider the instances in which certain interruptions could actually be an indication of good listening, such as interruptions in the form of probing questions. Practical implications: Research practical contribution – We identified specific behaviors by team leaders that may influence the quality of listening in team meetings, namely, allowing team members to speak for a longer period, avoiding interruptions in speaking during team meetings and adopting behaviors associated with generative listening. Organizations can use this information to develop a listening training program. Originality/value: (1) We identified specific behaviors by team leaders that are likely to influence the quality of the listening in team meetings, (2) we showed that the listening team climate varied within and between organizations and (3) we identified six types of listening at team meetings.