I’ve included abrief audio clip at the end of this post… Communication inside organisations often turns out to be a competitive exercise in which the first person to draw breath is declared the listener. This competitive battle serves to justify current thinking, reduces trust, leads to inflexible responses and maintains the same linear style of thinking that caused the problem in the first place. The need to be right (or fear of being wrong) reduces people’s willingness to consider other’s ideas and opinions.
A compelling purpose takes the focus of ‘individual rightness’ and onto common contribution. At this point it is important to consider another fundamental human need – the need to be understood and accepted. A person’s use of quality active listening fulfils this need in others. Once the other person believes that you understand their situation and that you accept them, they will be much more likely to listen to you. Conversely if you take the ‘competitive’ (i.e. I am right!) approach, you are more likely to experience resistance – which if maintained over time can even develop into resentment and disengagement.
Click the player below for a snippet of an audio from one of my presentations on this topic… You can download a FREE copy of my leadership ebook titled “7 Steps to Becoming an Engaging Leader” by completing the form in the sidebar…
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