Activating Active Listening

Happy Thursday!  No content theme for April –just hitting you with the most important focus areas based on what I’m seeing in the tech market.  Here’s what you need to know in under 2 minutes…

What tech leaders should be thinking about this week: How to incorporate “Active Listening” skills into 1:1s.  Defined as “the intentional practice of fully focusing on the speaker understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering what was said,” active listening is quickly becoming a lost art within the walls of many tech orgs. Unfortunately, cutting-off ideas with solutions or leaving little room for brainstorming is often seen as a leadership strength.  Even with a break-neck pace or intense pressure, leaders who remember the elements of active listening (attention, reflection, clarification) will always win with their teams (and probably drive more impact and inspiration).

Why this is important:  While (quick) solutions are important, employees will benefit more from a leader who actively listens when working through a business problem. A couple extra minutes of attention, reflection and clarification can go a long way!  According to Harvard Business Review, managers who incorporate active listening into their 1:1s increase engagement/trust, reduce miscommunication/trust, and create space for better coaching opportunities/problem solving.  Bottom line - everyone wins when leaders create more space for discussion, exploration and creativity.

Simple “Go-Do’s” for tech leaders/performers:  During your next 1:1, think about how you canapply the definition of active listening and incorporate best practices around attention, reflection and clarification. Specifically:

·     Put your phone away and/or set to DND.

·     Intentionally pause (2-3 seconds) before you jump into a solution. This will show that you’re processing information /paying attention.

·     Thoughtfully paraphrase what you heard to ensure alignment.  Practice “So what I’m hearing is…”

·     Consider asking one deeper question to raise the bar higher.  Something like“What can we do differently?” or “How can everyone win?”

Value Add – Additional ways to show-up as a leader:  It’s been a couple months(mid-January) since I recommended a team “temperature check.”  With the start of Q2 + economic roller-coaster, now is a great time to ask your folks:

·     On a scale of 1 (not great) to 10 (great) how are you doing? What’s driving that number?

·     What are 1-2 things you can do to bring this number up a couple degrees?

·     Where can I show-up more effectively as a leader to create a better experience?

New/improved dedicated newsletter page!  Know someone who’s looking for quick/easy ways to show-up better as a tech leader/performer? Forward them this mail or have them sign-up directly on the new/improved newsletter page on theEngaged Pursuit website.

Here’s to your Engaged Pursuit!

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