In a different lifetime I was involved in collective bargaining with the union local representing the workers in our manufacturing facility. If you’ve been involved, you know it’s usually a very adversarial process. We were fortunate enough to have a very experienced labour lawyer as our spokesperson. He taught me a great deal about labour law and the process of negotiating but he taught me something that I’ve been able to apply in far more numerous situations……how to listen.
Current thinking on leadership models no longer centres on the Top Down style of the Leader-savant who has all the answers to all the questions. Leadership gurus now emphasize a model which encourages leaders to recognize a “bubble up” approach where answers to some questions may come from areas of the organization outside the C-suite. New leaders are encouraged to take “listening tours” of their organization (or at least the part they’re responsible for) to gain a more rounded and realistic perception of culture, perspectives and hopefully the key issues the organization faces.
It sounds a whole lot simpler than it is. Most of the time we spend listening we’re doing so “passively” with little or no interaction with the source (this would exclude listening to many sporting events, at least in my house). The “art of listening” involves being actively engaged in the experience: leaning forward towards the speaker, smiling, frowning, nodding. These are signals to those we’re listening to that we actually hear what they’re saying.
It amazed me how much more I could learn about the topic at hand merely by becoming more actively involved in listening. By changing my facial expression, an observant speaker may note that I’m more interested in a given topic or the explanation provided isn’t working for me. I hear far more about the topic. I’m able to ask questions that enhance my understanding of subject. In interviewing I gain a far better perspective of candidates, their capabilities and potential organizational fit. And importantly, in negotiating, I gain a better understanding of my counterpart’s reasoning and potential options. All this because I have learned to actively participate in the listening process.
To paraphrase the Dalai Lama –
“When I speak I hear only that which I already know. When I listen I may hear something that I don’t already know”.
