A521.4.4.RB - Listening

Tom Peters (2009) quoted from a book by a Harvard Medical School doctor that indicated that most doctors listen to their patients for approximately 18 seconds before they interrupt to offer a diagnosis or other advice.  Peters (2009) further indicated that most managers and leaders are likely guilty of the same behavior. He estimated that seven or eight out of ten leaders are what he called “18 second managers.” Peters (2009) suggested that “The single most strategic strength that an organization can have is not a good strategic plan, but a commitment to strategic listening on the part of every member of the organization.”  Effective listening is one of the most important skills a leader can have. Leaders who hone and refine their listening skills will likely see benefits such as increased trust, greater productivity, an ability to defuse potential conflict, more confidence, better relationships, and fewer mistakes (Schwantes, 2016).

In one of my leadership roles I am responsible for a large group of volunteers.  These wonderful people give of their time freely to help the organization run smoothly.  One of my tasks is to find appropriate assignments for the volunteers where they can use their skills and abilities to help others.  A close friend of mine had been fulfilling her assignment for several months when she approached me with a concern. She said that she was struggling to stay motivated.  She had a lot of other demands calling for her time and attention. As she described her difficulties I could not see past the fact that I needed someone to be doing the task that she had been doing.  I tried to motivate and encourage her and help her to see how much we needed her. At the end of our conversation I think we were pretty much in the same place we were when we started talking; she was frustrated and feeling unmotivated.  

A few days later I spoke with her again.  I told her that I had been thinking about our conversation and I apologized for not hearing her.  I offered a solution that I felt might make things better for her. It included a change of assignment to a different position that fit her needs better, but allowed her to stay engaged.  She gratefully accepted the new assignment. During our conversation she told me something that really stung and has not left me. It hurt, not because it was offensive, but because it was true.  She said that when we spoke the first time she felt like I had not listened to her and that I was not concerned about her. She said it had felt like I was more concerned about ensuring her position was filled than about her as a person.  I had been what Peters (2009) referred to as an 18 second manager.

I always try to keep this experience in mind when I am speaking with people about their needs and feelings.  It is so important to actually listen to what people are saying; not only the words they are using, but the full meaning and feeling of what they are trying to communicate.  


References

Peters, T. (2009, December 7). Tom Peters’ leadership thoughts: listening [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IwB7NAvKPeo

Schwantes, M. (2016). 5 surprising benefits of being a great listener. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/not-a-good-listener-these-5-immediate-workplace-benefits-may-change-your-mind.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A632.9.3.RB - Role of Emotion in Decision Making

Image
Decision overconfidence is a major challenge that confronts decision makers.  Overconfidence in decision making results when you believe you have more accurate information than you actually have; when you think you have a complete picture, but you only have part of it (Riordan, 2013).  Decision overconfidence results from overestimating the accuracy and depth of knowledge about the situation, ignoring disconfirming information, or feeling overly assured from similar situations in the past (Riordon, 2013).  Overconfidence in decision making can result in difficulties such as escalation of commitment bias, in which resources continue to be committed to a decision despite it becoming obvious that it is a failing course of action (Straw & Ross, 1987). Professor Baba Shiv of Stanford University argues that there are a few positive aspects to decision confidence.  The first is from the perspective of the organization. As organizations develop customer confidence...
Read more

A634.6.3.RB - What Are Virtues?

Image
LaFollette (2007) suggested that the best way to live a moral life is by cultivating virtues.  Aristotle thought of virtues as character traits and tendencies to act in a particular way (2018).  He thought that living a virtuous life was the key to happiness and a good life.  Additionally, Aristotle suggested that a virtuous person does the appropriate action, does it habitually, enjoys being virtuous, knows that it is virtuous, and knows why it is virtuous (LaFollette, 2007).   Benjamin Franklin had a lifelong commitment to cultivating virtues.  He developed a list of thirteen virtues that he considered were essential to virtuous living.  He also developed a chart he carried around with him that he could use to note when he had not adhered to one of the virtues.  Franklin focused on one virtue each week, so after thirteen weeks he had spent time trying to cultivate each one.  He would then start the process over again.  When Frank...
Read more

A635.2.3.RB_CliffordMarc

Image
How Companies Can Make Better Decisions Greenfield (2004) indicated that “moving some decision making closer to employees could easily become the most financially valuable initiative most companies could undertake.”  In addition, “most studies found a statistically significant positive relationship between strong corporate culture and financial performance.” Blenko (as cited in Harvard Business Review, 2010) stated that “Companies that are better at making and executing decisions really do seem to operate at a much faster metabolism and have better financial results.”  Organizations that empower their employees to make decisions demonstrate improved performance for a couple of reasons. First, recruiting and training expenses are reduced. Employees that are engaged and empowered are more loyal to their employers, and are less likely to seek alternative employment options. Companies that generate loyalty and engagement in their employees have lower turnover, and therefo...
Read more