Learning to Listen Again — what we heard in our second Reimagining Government webinar of 2021
To develop policies and responses that work for all of society, it’s critical that governments learn to listen to those who are seldom heard.
In the second instalment of the 2021 Reimagining Government series, ANZSOG and CPI hosted a webinar focused on the role and importance of listening to people experiencing complex challenges, in a way which builds trust and lasting relationships.
The panel was facilitated by Simon Kent, Deputy CEO, Thought Leadership, ANZSOG, and included Dr Suze Wilson, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Massey University, and Ruth Ball, Senior Associate, CPI. Jerome Harvey-Agyei, Senior Children & Youth Participation Officer, Greater London Authority, was unable to attend the webinar, but we caught up with him afterwards for an extended interview.
To listen more effectively, leaders need to be humble
One of the key themes raised by our speakers and audience alike was that listening requires humility — acknowledging that governments don’t have all the answers, and that there’s a wealth of knowledge that comes with lived experience. However, the panellists acknowledged that this can be difficult for leaders both within and outside of government.
Jerome reflected that listening first requires self-work and self-awareness: “If you don’t do the work within you can’t hear without”. Building a mindset that is truly humble, and really appreciates the value of diverse opinions takes time, and Jerome suggested this might be difficult for those in positions of power.
Humility is at odds with some leaders’ inability to refrain from being the ‘expert in the room’. For many leaders, it’s hard to say, “I don’t know” — but it really is the most powerful phrase a policymaker can say.
“The more you listen as a leader, the more you’re going to expose yourself to the range of competing perspectives”. Suze explained that the uncertainty listening can create is in tension with traditional images of leaders as “people who know” and have the answers to create immediate action. Unless leaders become more open to the idea that they don’t hold all the answers, they won’t begin the process of listening.
Leaders can start the process of listening by asking more questions. Asking questions and listening to answers opens up dialogue, and helps people consider a wider range of (often conflicting) possibilities. Suze acknowledged that this could be difficult, but advocated starting small — constantly finding opportunities to hold back giving an opinion (even internally), and throwing it back as a question to others, to see where they run with it.
Listening effectively requires giving up deep-rooted ideas of power and leadership, which will take time, and a whole lot of vulnerability.
It’s not just about listening, it’s about action too
Jerome raised an important point: “For a lot of community members, they’re tired of people listening. They’re tired of being researched. People want action.”
In Ruth’s research, she found that just the act of listening was important to the seldom heard. However, this only rang true when frontline workers set expectations about what the actions taken in response to listening might look like. Listening and empathising with people can build trust, but where action is expected but not delivered, trust erodes completely.
The listening process can also be frustrating for frontline workers. Despite being close to the problems of communities, they often feel they lack the authority and ability to make decisions that would really make a difference. While they can cross organisational boundaries, build relationships with others and find different ways to solve problems, this is despite the system of government, not because of it.
Jerome previously used visual roadmaps to help translate listening into action. Realistic targets ensured all the trust built in the process wasn’t lost to perceived inaction. The roadmaps clearly defined who needed to understand things, who needed to listen, and who needed to take action — outlining the listening and action-taking stages with clear timelines to keep people accountable, across organisations. Furthermore, explicitly involving key decision-makers in the listening process helped to create stronger relationships with community, and a better understanding of the urgency and emotions involved in complex problems.
***
While there are deep rooted barriers to governments listening, leaders can start by being vulnerable about not knowing things, and asking more questions. For listening to transform relationships with communities and build trust, it’s also important for governments to manage expectations around responses, and work across boundaries to translate listening into action.
Jerome offered an eloquent reminder of the need to be humble when engaging with community — understanding the knowledge they hold, and the weight of our shared duty to create a more equal society:
“Listening isn’t about doing for, it’s about doing with. It’s that journey that’s important.”
The Australian and New Zealand School of Government and the Centre for Public Impact are hosting an interactive webinar series and learning community. Find out more here, and watch our interview with Jerome Harvey-Agyei below.
