Rethinking Business Communications Blog

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply”

– Stephen R. Covey

Time is arguably the greatest change agent of all.

Once upon a  time, (at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, which began in England and spread to the western world in the 18^th and 19^th centuries), the top-down hierarchical, commando-style managerial approach was effective. Management set rules and employees were expected to follow them, with little or no resistance. It was simple: Workers were, in essence, rewarded for compliance or would have been sacked for flouting orders or for being ‘troublemakers’.

Then gradually, disillusioned workers ‘ganged up’ to form unions, realising that there was strength in numbers. They dared to question the norm and were able to change industrial practices.

That was the beginning of the demise of the authoritarian ‘because-I-said-so’ managerial style.

In the 20^th century, the rise of globalisation and the emergence of the ‘new’ employment relationship meant a shift in managerial practices.

Fast forward to the 21^st century, a period with rapid advances in technology and a rising influence of new media, and you will notice one constant.

Time indeed changes all things.

When hearing is not enough

Management in this era cannot hide behind the veneer of passive listening to regurgitate what is communicated. Employees today are more educated and more discerning,  easily deducing insincerity and hypocrisy. They also know when they are being fed ‘propaganda’.

Of course, the easiest way to determine whether professionals are truly valued is to note whether their most pressing concerns are addressed in visible ways.

For example, a key, almost global concern for modern employees, is the lukewarm or non-existent support from Management for the career development of workers despite implicit and explicit statements, and in spite of evidence linking career development to attraction and retention of top talent.

This is what I do not understand: Most companies worth their salt these days have standard policies for professional development, so why isn’t this crucial issue implemented, tested, and revised for effectiveness? 

Why should  you, as a professional with A,B,C qualifications and experience in X,Y,Z be left to ‘waste away’ in  an unchallenging function, which does not stretch you professionally?

And  why  would you continue  in  a company  when Management has within its power, to provide what it had implied it would, during your induction programme—a defined plan for career advancement—yet has consistently failed to do so?

The answer?

You should not remain in a dead-end role when other alternatives are available, and neither would you continue in an organisation that consistently fails to keep its promise on a crucial issue. 

You are also likely to exit the company for one that has a verifiable track record of valuing its employees by providing training and support, giving interesting assignments where they could grow, and sharing feedback as to how their efforts directly contribute to the company’s successes.

Yes, such a company is likely to prioritise a listening culture at the workplace.

For the sake of objectivity, it  should be noted  that during changes in Management or factors beyond its control, workers sometimes do not get what they want. Employees understand this reality and for this reason,  a good communications strategy, highlighting the ‘Why’ component and the ‘Crisis-Mode Plan‘ is recommended for a cooperative Management-employee relationship.

The link between good communication and leadership effectiveness

Mr CEO: As the most important driver of organisational perception, note that you cannot create a listening culture if you lack good communication skills yourself. 

Suppose you are still unconvinced of the real effect of communication on your leadership capabilities and on your company’s bottom line. Then this 2014 research by the Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor group should interest you. They analysed the perceptions of over 6,500 people, in 13 countries, on five continents regarding the link between effective communication and effective leadership. A summary of the findings is below:

“Open, transparent communication remains critical to effective leadership. It is again the top-ranking attribute, with 74% viewing effective communication as very important to great leadership. Yet only 29% feel leaders communicate effectively with a 45-point expectation-delivery gap.”

The gap between expectation and delivery has significant commercial implications. For example, “61% boycotted or bought less from a company due to poor leadership, while only 52% started buying or purchased more spurred by strong leadership”.

Well, there you have it, Mr CEO.

Effective communication is not one of those ‘soft’ skills you can relegate to the good-to-know-fads-with-little-practical-value section. As a bonus, great communication skills will make you better in your role and a more credible leader.

At the helm of your company, you could start by improving your communication skills and then encourage your management cadre to do the same.

Promote a listening culture at work.  Provide support for communication training in general and for active listening for your managers. Develop a system to measure how effectively improvements in communications help attain organisational goals.

You just may be surprised by the results.

Conclusion

In general, it is not enough to hear what complaints/suggestions are made by the staff via whatever channels, if Management is listening to respond, instead of listening to understand, as Stephen R. Covey advises in his famous book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, (1989).

Even the most modest effort made by Management to really listen to its staff and to provide what is desired, within reason, communicates a proactive, caring culture. When professionals feel valued, there are no limits to what they would achieve for the organisation. 

Ask the modern-day employee and you will be told that his happiness at work is not always tied to being offered more money and perks, (although these incentives would be attractive). His true happiness and job satisfaction are often linked to how well he is listened to, understood and appreciated for his work; as well as how well he is treated on an interpersonal level.

A listening culture benefits everyone.

So what are you doing today to create a listening culture at work?

Kindly post your comments below, anonymously if you prefer.   

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Recommended reading:

Discussion Forum #2 – What Would Make You Happy At Work? 

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N.B – First three images are courtesy of Stuart Miles via freedigitalphotos.net. Last image is courtesy of David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net