In health care, listening is supposed to be a given. Patients expect their doctors to pay attention, understand their concerns, and factor their voices into care decisions. Yet in a system that prizes speed and efficiency, genuine listening is often the first thing to slip away.
A recent article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings makes the case that listening isn’t just a courtesy—it’s a force for healing. Led by Leonard Berry, PhD, of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, along with colleagues from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and Henry Ford Health Detroit, the research highlights six strategies of “values-driven listening” that build trust, reduce burnout, and improve outcomes in clinical settings.
At first glance, this sounds like guidance for physicians, not lab leaders. But the lessons travel well. Just as patients need to feel seen and heard by their providers, laboratory staff thrive when their managers practice the same kind of attentive, values-driven listening.
Why listening is essential for lab leadership
The researchers tell the story of a nurse in a Norwegian nursing home who asked a patient: “What would make a good day for you?”
The man replied that he wanted to wear his late wife’s favorite blue shirt on the anniversary of her death. That small act of honoring his grief changed his behavior—he engaged with others in the facility for the first time.
“That’s not a medical breakthrough,” Berry said. “It’s a human one.”
This anecdote may seem far removed from laboratory science, but it captures an essential truth: deep listening often uncovers what matters most. In the lab, it might not be a shirt—it might be a technician’s frustration with a scheduling system, a researcher’s quiet concern about safety practices, or a junior staff member’s hesitation to share an idea.
Six listening strategies lab managers can use
Berry and his colleagues describe six types of listening that strengthen the doctor–patient relationship. Their study is rooted in health care interactions, but the principles translate naturally into laboratory leadership. Just as a physician’s ability to listen shapes trust and outcomes, a lab manager’s listening habits shape culture, safety, and performance.
1. Proximate listening: Leadership through presence
In health care, proximate listening means the provider doesn’t rush. They sit, stop, and focus on the patient. In labs, managers who put devices aside and give undivided attention signal respect and encourage staff to share openly.
2. Curious listening: Asking better questions in the lab
Doctors who ask, “Do you have any questions?” rarely learn much. Those who ask, “What concerns do you have?” uncover critical insights. Lab managers who use open-ended questions often discover hidden issues with protocols, instruments, or workflows.
3. Building trust with active listening
Patients trust providers who listen without judgment. Likewise, staff trust lab leaders who create space for candid conversations about mistakes, safety concerns, or new ideas. This trust forms the foundation of psychological safety.
4. Designing lab spaces for better communication
Physical space influences how people talk. Health care facilities have created “talking rooms” for open dialogue. Labs can reimagine meeting spaces or adjust body language—like sitting instead of standing—to make conversations more balanced and collaborative.
5. Empowering staff through listening and action
Listening should lead to change. Programs like Hawaii Pacific Health’s “Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff” saved thousands of hours by cutting waste. In labs, asking staff “What’s one task that slows you down every week?” can spark efficiency gains and build morale.
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6. Resilient listening: supporting lab teams under pressure
Health care organizations use peer sessions and shared meals to reduce burnout. Labs face similar stress. Managers who check in on staff well-being, create space for reflection, and encourage peer support build resilient, high-performing teams.
How better listening transforms lab culture
Labs face the same pressures that erode listening in health care: time constraints, productivity demands, and compliance requirements. Conversations risk becoming transactional, with little room for reflection or candor. The cost is high—disengaged employees, hidden risks, and missed opportunities.
If listening is the “gateway to healing” in health care, it is also the gateway to stronger culture in science. By practicing values-driven listening, lab managers can create workplaces that are safer, more innovative, and more humane.
Key takeaways for lab leaders
Berry and his colleagues show that listening is not a soft skill—it is a deliberate, values-based practice with measurable impact. For lab leaders, the question is whether to treat listening as a nicety or as a leadership tool.
Start small: ask better questions, give your full attention, or invite staff to tell you what they would change. Listening in labs, as in health care, is less about efficiency and more about humanity. And in the end, that humanity may be the foundation for better science.
