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T
ECHNOLOGY HAS SHRUNKEN physical distances,
practically dissolved national borders, and —
instantaneously and efficiently — connected people
to each other worldwide. Yet, this is not so in interpersonal
space, where people often still feel a great distance from each
other. And with the rise of the global workforce come new
challenges to communication.
Organizations rise or fall according to the quality of their
interactions and relationships. And listening is really the
key. Listening promotes better functioning teams and higher morale. It increases sales and customer
loyalty. Listening even reduces stress, both in individuals and in the organization. And, ultimately,
listening is an essential competency for remaining competitive.
Yet the dominant mode of listening is private, not shared; distracted, not focused; and contained,
not engaging. And frustration and disappointment stemming from this type of listening are keeping
business interactions from achieving desired results. Nearly every manager who attends my "Listening
to Lead" workshops voices irritation over problems they have with listening.
In conversations and meetings, they can't control their impatience to get to the point and move
on. Their attention spans are short and getting shorter. They get easily distracted and lose focus, miss
key information, and are forced to play catch-up. They don't acknowledge one another's feelings. And
Listening as a Leadership Skill
M A N AG E M E N T A N D L E A D E R S H I P
