Leadership Thought #346 – Are You Listening?
Most people I know are not good at listening. They prioritize their thoughts and opinions over actively listening to others. I have a colleague who states that, as a leader, you need to “listen until it hurts,” and I agree with him. How well we believe the other person heard us determines our level of satisfaction after a conversation.
The top complaint I get when I interview employees is the general sense that there is a lack of effective communication. When you drill down on the issue, it is not so much that vital information isn’t being communicated but that the dialogue is a one-way street from the top down. People must feel that their voices have been considered during the deliberative process to feel fully invested in something. They need to feel like their opinion matters.
The best leaders learn how to master the art of effective listening. They fight their impulse to always dominate the conversation. Instead of seeing themselves as the “go-to person” on all significant decisions, they learn to ask good questions, listen to the answers, and facilitate constructive dialogue among the affected parties. They make people feel like their opinions have value. They leverage the expertise and talents of others to ensure the best possible decisions are being made by weighing all the important variables and other relevant considerations.
Never limit your organization’s capability to what you know or feel about an issue. Always strive to broaden your feedback loop and tap into the collective and unique talents of your employees and clients. I have met some very smart people who have only gotten so far in their careers because they are unable to listen and learn from others. Life rewards people who listen well and build consensus.
Related articles
- Memo to Leaders: Stop Talking and Start Listening! Four Tips for Building Trust (leaderchat.org)
- Listening (jacquipatrick.wordpress.com)
- Types of Listening (prmarketingcommunication.com)
- Top 3 Techniques of How Not to Listen (themarlincompany.com)
- Listen Up or Lose Out (simplycarolann.wordpress.com)
- Listening is an action (teachingsofmasters.wordpress.com)
- Listening as a Path to Comprehending (conversationagent.com)
