Ask anyone about what makes a good leader and they are sure to put the ability to communicate high on the list of necessary skills. Yet all to often communication is simply seen as the ability to speak.
Listening ? actively is an incredibly powerful tool at times rather neglected.
I stated working with ***** who said, "I feel really frustrated. I often suggest ideas at meetings but others get the credit! I am really keen to get promotion and want to impress"
***** was keen to do well. He wanted his superiors to recognise his potential and felt it was important to come up with the goods. At meetings ***** always tried to get in first. He was quick to speak, often cutting across others and interrupting.
By doing so there were a number of consequences quite different to his original intention:
Bosses lost their train of thought; they found the interruptions irritating.
***** concentrated far more on what he was going to say rather than internalising what was being said by others. His contributions were not focused on the matter at hand, or were shallow because he had not taken the time to analyse what had been said
Thoughts were articulated before they were completely formulated. Others picked up on the idea, thought them through logically and re-articulated them as their own, gaining lots of brownie points with the bosses
The problem was premature articulation, a very common problem. The solution is easy to identify but requires practice on a regular basis if the new behaviour is to become second nature.
Together we considered how to manage the problem. I asked ****** to make a conscious decision to act differently at the next meeting.
To remain quiet, listening carefully and to contribute only when their opinion was asked for. Planned strategies for listening, ordering thoughts and recording ideas were put in place. It was agreed that ideas were to be offered after enough thought had taken place to ensure they were logical ordered and listened to.
The result was amazing. ****** felt more in control and was ready with positive, well thought out contributions which were accredited to him.
***** found the situation in meetings was less stressful and frantic as the pressure to perform was lessened. Listening attentively, taking time to get his thoughts together before offering a contribution has taken a bit of effort but well worth while.
Feedback from *****'s boss has been extremely positive.
Independent Consultant, writer and life-coach Gina Gardiner loves working with others supporting them to make the best of their potential.
Described by Ofsted as an "inspirational leader" and by Investors in People as an "impressive coach and exceptional mentor. who has developed an innovative and exemplary training scheme" for the development of emergent, middle and senior managers.
Gina has a huge interest in leadership, she has led a wide range of training and facilitation activities with individuals, schools and other organisations, In her work as coach/mentor she supports people at individual or organisational level to develop confidence, leadership and people skills and effective delegation; empowering them to see themselves as part of the solution. If you would like to know more email: gina.gardiner@ntlworld.com
Gina Gardiner is also the author of "Live Well Eat Well With Celiac Disease" in this book she writes from first hand experience of being a celiac. For more information or to sign up to our free monthly ezine go to http://www.celiacliving.com
The Leadership ChallengeLeaders in today's society are faced with an... Read More
A good strong example of a family leader would be... Read More
Ponder what it takes to be a true leader with... Read More
I hated Kyle Sisk*. A notorious bully, Kyle punctuated my... Read More
He grew up in Brooklyn, the son of an ex-con... Read More
Leadership is not about getting people to do what they... Read More
Looking around in most corporate environments today you'll find mission,... Read More
It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a... Read More
Have you noticed that across the business world people are... Read More
The ancient Greeks had a saying: "When Aschines speaks, the... Read More
Leaders need to:1. Have a vision to which they are... Read More
We have all experienced walls or challenges in our work... Read More
By definition a leaders leads a team to take action... Read More
Life on our planet flourishes through feedback. If life forms... Read More
Here's a really simple way to think about the ins... Read More
A German silent film melodrama depicts an airship bombing London... Read More
Peer independence is arguably the least understood aspect of self... Read More
Lee (L.B.) Weiss (Sept. 21/25 ? April 30/82)My dad has... Read More
... Read More
In today's highly competitive world, there is a lot of... Read More
The first time I meet a leader to decide if... Read More
It's a common occurrence, a CEO leads a company to... Read More
At one point or another, we have all been either... Read More
Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who... Read More
Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you... Read More
Some think that everything is black and white. I'm beginning... Read More
If I asked you what your goal in life is,... Read More
Most of us find ourselves in a position to help... Read More
So you want to be a leader? Or you want... Read More
Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about... Read More
1. The West Point Way of Leadership.GREAT book by a... Read More
There are many reasons why someone would decline to participate... Read More
Purpose: Learn immediately if you are fostering leadership or ignoring... Read More
Ask anyone about what makes a good leader and they... Read More
The Leadership ChallengeLeaders in today's society are faced with an... Read More
How many times have you seen the E = MC2... Read More
Tao Te Ching said to be written by Lao Tzu... Read More
Many potential leaders in business sabotage themselves and their organizations... Read More
Leaders need to:1. Have a vision to which they are... Read More
Anne was a new supervisor, and like many new supervisors... Read More
In Part One, I described the laws of motivation. In... Read More
History teaches that when people needed to do great things,... Read More
"...And winged hope, with heart of fire, To gain the... Read More
10 Ways to Beef Up Your Leadership SkillsHave you ever... Read More
Leadership is not about getting people to do what they... Read More
Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you... Read More
There is a steady stream being written and taught about... Read More
What motivates people to work and to achieve? What circumstances... Read More
After studying scores of great thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci,... Read More
Have you ever wondered what type of person or personality... Read More
Leadership is the foundation for all organizations, whether corporate, nonprofit... Read More
How does one go about getting deep results? There are... Read More
Who is Randy Gage? I first read about him in... Read More
According to the dictionary choice means "to select freely after... Read More
1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control... Read More
In today's highly competitive world, there is a lot of... Read More
"Of every noble work the silent part is best, Of... Read More
Doesn't make too much sense does it? Am I really... Read More
President Ike Eisenhower once demonstrated the difference between leadership and... Read More
Charlotte decides to do good. Charlotte is a highly motivated... Read More
People don't leave jobs; they leave bosses. -- AnonymousCongratulations. You're... Read More
Delegating is a commonly misunderstood concept. Delegating is not about... Read More
A willingness to change first is one of the major... Read More
I just delivered a free speech. I am a great... Read More
The topic of leadership has been and continues to be... Read More
The ancient Greeks had a saying: "When Aschines speaks, the... Read More
Leadership |