Turn Active Listening into a Strategic Initiative

I can say with confidence that the art of active listening is an unappreciated and underused activity in many organizations. And I know most CEOs know this.

So how about taking a proactive approach to active listening and teach every single person in your organization to do the same.

Become the champion of helping your entire company LISTEN well and you will see results on your bottom line. Ask yourself:
-- How often do you assume you know something and you tune out to what someone is saying?
-- How much do you talk in a conversation with an employee and how much do you listen?
-- How well do you really hear problems or do you simply stop listening because you don't want to be bothered?

You can fake listening. You may do it on purpose or you may do it unconsciously. But make no mistake, as business owners we aren't good listeners. Why? Because we think we have all the answers or we think we should have all the answers.

I've witnessed it. I've even been guilty of it.

Make a goal to hone your listening skills and to teach every person in your company to do the same. Stop letting yourself be a lazy listener and stop letting your people be lazy listeners.

Start the process of ACTIVE LISTENING -- you'll be surprised at how much you have been missing.

Turn Active Listening into a Strategic Initiative. I'm going to outline 6 Approaches that you can use to improve your own listening skills and improve the listening skills of every single person in your company.

Give this a shot. Improvements will show up in at least 3 areas of your company within 3 months:

Improvement #1:
You will get along better with your direct reports.

Improvement #2:
People will communicate better and get along better.

Improvement #3:
People will do their jobs better.

These are improvements every CEO would like to experience. Realizing that nothing is ever easy, just take a look at the following ideas and just pick ONE or TWO. I guarantee with just a little effort you will increase your company's ability to perform -- so get ready to:

L I S T E N

Approach #1:
L = Look for opportunities to ask questions
Stop fixing everything. Just because you wear the title of CEO doesn't mean you have to have all the answers. Ask questions. Your sales manager walks into your office with this: "Just got this month's sales reports and they don't look good." Try this as an active listening approach:

Why do you feel they are down?
What is different than last month?
Where do you suggest we make changes?
What would you do if you were me?

Engage by asking questions. Look for opportunities throughout your organization to ask questions and get ready to be surprised by the intelligence lurking in your company!

Model this behavior for your direct reports so they can model it for their direct reports.

Approach #2:
I = Identify areas you need help with
Stop doing everything. And certainly stop thinking you are the only one that can do everything. And help your direct reports figure this one out also. If you aren't good at something, don't try and cover it up by talking. Admit it's not a strength and then listen to the experts in your company and learn from them.

It's not a weakness to not know something but it can sure become a liability if you pretend to know something and you don't. Remember, these are Active Listening techniques that everyone in your company can learn how to do. The CEO does have to lead the way and walk the talk.

Approach #3:
S = Seize every chance to challenge the status quo
The title of this article is about turning the act of active listening into a strategic initiative so listen to what people in your company are saying. If you hear things like:

"That's how we've always done it."
"That would be a much better idea but no way is that going to happen."
"No one listens to me anyway."

You are moving toward complacency and that is the enemy of growth.

To grow and sustain a profitable business you need to always challenge the status quo. To understand what the status quo in your organization sounds like, you have to listen!

Approach #4:
T = Take the time to know your employees.
Having problems with your employees? Do you know what they are thinking? Do you know what they get excited about? Do you know what they think about you and the company? You should.

People issues far outweigh other issues that companies face. My unsubstantiated opinion says we spend far less time on People Issues than we do on any other aspect of our companies. I challenge you to reverse this and get your priorities aligned with what has the greatest impact on your business. That's right -- your people!

Approach #5:
E = Engage direct reports in a 30-minute dialogue each week
If you know me, you've heard this before. There is nothing more important than spending quality time with the people that report to you. If you want to engage your employees, get them to talk to you and learn how to listen to what they are saying.

Three questions you can ask your direct reports that will keep you from letting these sessions just be about you or the hottest project of the minute:

One: What did you do last week that you were proud of?
Two: What would you like to learn next week that would help you with your job?
Three: What can I do to help?

Don't give up on this concept. It requires time to break down those barriers that exist between a manager and an employee.

Approach #6:
N = Never assume your employees don't want to contribute
They do. They just don't know how. And to tell you the truth, as managers, we are not very good at finding ways to help them contribute.

Shift your thinking to a more active listening approach and you'll find out what they think they can contribute. After all, it is all about them. Because as soon as you make it all about you, you lose them. So ask them how they see themselves contributing to the bottom line. Ask them how they see themselves helping the company grow. Ask them what they think. And do this often.

Then LISTEN.

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