Do You Listen With An Open Mind

It’s a big enough challenge for some managers and leaders to be willing to really listen to their rank and file employees, but it’s altogether more challenging to listen when you disagree with what is communicated. Yet you have a much better shot at dealing with the reality of your department or company if:

1.Your corporate culture is open and receptive.
2.You validate their ideas or suggestions.
3.You encourage the upward flow of honest information.
4.You reward honesty and quality vs. negative employee traits.
5.Employees believe you really want the truth or the information they have to give you.

Here are a few ideas to help you succeed in listening to “the bad news” or whatever doesn’t match your own thinking or expectations:

1.Keep your ego out of the way of communication.
2.Set aside your own prejudices, opinions, values, judgments, and expectations.
3.Recognize that life is a perceptual experience. Whatever perceptions (true or false) your employees have, these perceptions are true for them.
4.Play with the idea that no one is ever really wrong. They just need more information to come to a different conclusion. This could be the employee – or it could be you.
5.Learn to accept others for who they are, what they think, how they feel and what they believe.
6.Encourage your employees not to edit what they tell you.
7.Believe that your employees have your organization’s best interests at heart.
8.Don’t rely on a single source in your organization for accurate information.
9.Be consistent in your behavior regardless of how difficult it might be at certain times.
10.Pay close attention to rumors, the grapevine, and hearsay – they communicate information you might not get otherwise.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind, 81 Challenges Managers Face and Your First Year In Sales. He is also the CEO of Sales Clubs Of America. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his websites at www.timconnor.com or www.SalesClubsOfAmerica.com

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