One of the most important things one can do as a manager is to listen. Often in a drive to appear assertive and decisive, one can forget to listen – you are hearing or appearing to hear, but not really listening. If you make a split second judgement on what you hear without really listening it could result in poor decisions.
To really listen,
- First pay attention and try to understand what the person is saying.
- Even if you feel you don’t agree with what the other person is saying, hear them out and try to understand their view point.
- Don’t try to reject what they say out of hand.
- Lastly, before you proffer a solution to the problem, find out first if the person already has a solution in mind.
- Work on a solution that is win/win to all.
