dispatches from the new world of work

100 Ways to Succeed #156:

Improve Your Business!
Become a Better Person!
Master the Art of Listening!

While I'm on the topic of "strategic competencies," let me add or reinforce the fact that Listening belongs on the short list as well:

Study listening!
(Study = Become a serious student thereof!)
Treat listening as a "practice"!
Practice!
Acknowledge that this "practice" can become one of a small handful of "strategic competencies"!

Big point overall: "We" "all" "know" that apologizing and listening are "important." The Big Idea here is that (1) these are strategic strengths (or weaknesses), (2) these are disciplines that can be mastered just like fly fishing or piano playing, and (3) these are disciplines that must be mastered to be effective—just like fly fishing or piano playing.

Tom Peters posted this on 04/23/09.

Comments

Tom,

This relates back to the training I mentioned in my comment on two blogs back. The acronym they used for their approach to handling customer complaints is the word "HEAR."

The "H" -- the critical first step -- stands for "Hear." If you don't listen, you can't understand their concern. If you don't understand the concern (often buried under a surface issue (i.e., their may be an underlying disease and you risk getting hung up on merely a symptom), you miss the real opportunity. Even worse, a customer can spot "faking it" in a minute. The only thing worse to a customer than a problem is having to deal with someone who feeds them B.S. about fixing it.

Posted by Dan Gunter at April 23, 2009 6:53 AM

I know Tom recommends Toastmasters to improve communication skills. Toastmasters is also one of the best places to learn/practice 'listening' skills. You practice by listening to a speech and prepare an impromptu evaluation speech right in the same meeting.

Posted by Shashi at April 23, 2009 11:01 AM

I agree about the crucial importance of listening. It is the key skill for success in all relationships, including work and personal ones.

One nice way to get better at is to take turns with a partner listening profoundly to each other, say for half an hour each way. When somone is really present, your thinking just gets clearer and clearer. Afterwards you can talk about what the listener did that helped.

If you want to learn more. Have a look at http://www.rc.org/ and http://www.nickheap.co.uk/articles.asp?ART_ID=37. Taking turns is so simple and extraordinarily powerful.

Posted by Nick Heap at April 23, 2009 11:30 AM