The key to being influential and gaining employees’ trust doesn’t lie in your ability to use the knowledge  in your brain.

It lies in the ability to use your ears.

“It’s the pure, simple power of being heard,” says Garrison Wynn, a comedian and motivational speaker who addressed the 2019 CUNA Human Resources & Organizational Development Council Conference Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

Listening to someone’s ideas, thoughts, and concerns goes a long way toward establishing trust between two people, Wynn says. And that level of trust equates to you having influence over them and their belief in your abilities.

“Trust is built on compassion and competence,” he says. “They believe you care about them and then they believe you can do your job.”

Listening not only establishes trust, research shows it creates employees who are more productive and efficient in their jobs, Wynn says.

Other than being heard, people want three things, Wynn says: sincerity, multiple solutions to a problem, and prestige.

When a person trusts you, they believe you aren’t fake or putting up a front. “Don’t be fake. Be who you are,” Wynn says. “We trust people because we know they’re being who they really are.”

They also want to know you’re not pushing a single agenda and that you’re considering multiple solutions for a problem. Be open to listening to different ideas and exploring multiple options when looking for a solution.

Make employees feel like their ideas are valuable, Wynn says.

Plus, people want to look smart and good in the eyes of other people, Wynn says. Determine what actions you can take to help them achieve this.

“If people realize these three things, they’ll listen to everything you say,” Wynn says. “It’s the foundation of influence.”

Visit CUNA News for more conference coverage, and get live updates on Twitter via @CUNAJennifer,  @CUNA_News, @cumagazine, @CUNACouncils, and by using the #HRODCouncil hashtag. Learn more about the CUNA HR & Organizational Development Council, a member-led professional society for credit union executives, at cunacouncils.org.