The “Just One Thing” Series at Management Excellence is intended to provoke ideas and actions around topics relevant to our success and professional growth. Use them in good health and great performance!
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“To be present is to listen without memory or desire.” Wilfred Bion as cited in John Baldoni’s excellent new book, Moxie—The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership.
Our world of work is filled with quick sound-bite exchanges and constant interruptions. Many of us have learned to cope with competing stimuli and the pressure to move faster and faster in our daily transactions, yet there is a cost to working this way. We’ve sacrificed personal connection and clarity for the siren song of constant communication. It’s communication of sorts, but in no way complete.
Consider:
Most meetings are a competition for some unknown prize, where people talk and debate but don’t typically connect.
Too many leaders engage with half (or less) of their faculties with their team members as they chase the urgent or the urgent-unimportant.
Spend a day observing how people engage in the workplace and you might reasonably conclude that the signal-to-noise ratio in the workplace is mostly noise.
Exercise Your Power of Attention by Staying in the Moment:
Just for today, bend time to your will by slowing down and focusing on the people you come in contact with in the workplace.
Listen intently to what they have to say or what they are asking. Resist the urge to jump in and finish sentences or interject your own thoughts. Ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand their perspective. Restate their points in your own words to confirm that you understand their points. And then and only then, share your ideas in response.
If you are approached in your own workspace, flip a mental switch and disconnect from your screen and turn your attention to the individual in front of you. One effective manager I know, blanks her screen and puts her mobile device on silent in her desk drawer to ensure her full attention.
Yes, the suggestions above are part of what we call active listening. I call it showing respect.
Do the same in meetings. Leave the device in your pocket or at your desk and serve as that clarifying influence. Pay attention to the speakers. And if needed, help people corral the communication chaos by actively facilitating in pursuit of common understanding.
And finally, there are some people we work with who are brilliant but struggle to communicate clearly using just spoken words. Some people are visual communicators…engage with them by drawing on a whiteboard. Others are fierce writers… find an opportunity for them to think on screen and then share their wisdom. Still others live and work in a world of numbers or logic. Be the better communicator and strive to find the medium that best supports their ability to share their message.
The Bottom-Line for Now:
Few activities in your career offer a better return on investment than silencing the noise and paying full attention to everyone you encounter.
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An ideal book for anyone starting out in leadership: Practical Lessons in Leadership by Art Petty and Rich Petro.
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