Good Listeners = Good Managers

Courtesey: Rediff 5th March 2007

The Journal of Business Communication published a recent study disclosing that good listeners hold higher-level positions and are promoted more often than those with less effective listening skills. Many executives believe listening skills are vital to the success of an organisation. Lee Iacocca, CEO of Chrysler, said that listening could make 'the difference between a mediocre company and a great company.'
Unfortunately, a number of experts note that managers and executives tend to become better talkers than listeners -- because they are used to 'being listened to'.
God gave us two ears so we could listen more and speak less. This is seldom followed and we end up spending more time speaking and much less actually learning from what was conveyed.
In our fast-moving world, it is easy to miss out on what people say. These six tips can help though.
More tips on how to listen better
One: Observe the listener Psychologist Jerome Burner of New York University says that people only remember 10 per cent of what they hear, but the percentage is as high as 80 per cent if they can see the listener as well. When we are with a speaker, it important to be involved in the conversation. Concentrate on the listener's non-verbal signals, such as the body language and facial expression. When we are not with the speaker, other signals play an important role -- the speaker's pitch, intonation, tone, utterance groups and stressed words in sentences. This will help us understand the speaker's thoughts. If you are a manager, active listening is crucial. Ideally, managers should spend more than 50 per cent of their time listening to what is being said. Try not to broadcast your idea until you have heard everyone.
Two: Be attentive and avoid distractions Most of the time, we miss out on things because we are either so pre-occupied with our thoughts or busy doing something that isn't as important as what the speaker has to say. While we are the target audience, it is discourteous not to pay attention to the speaker. Look at the speaker and keep aside everything else. Stop thinking about work, family, your partner, love life or promotions. These things happen when they have to. It might take some of us time to concentrate, but practice makes this easier. Believe that every speaker is equally important. Do not fake attention.
Can you learn from job interviews?
Three: Think, revise and stay interested When you hear something, it's easy to revise the key words. Focus on 'content words' -- those that contain the main content of the sentence. If you have to pass on a message, make sure you understand it, personalise it and get it in action. Some messages need to be passed on verbatim. In such cases, avoid jumbling words; pass it on word for word. Demonstrate that you are interested in what a person is saying even if the delivery is monotonous or verbose. Don't let your mind wander; your focus should be your listener.
Four: Make notes Some of us cannot afford to rely on memory, and are too lazy to pen down what we have heard. This leads to skipping important appointments, missing meetings, forgetting important date and ventures. Overall, it leads to loss. Write down what you need to communicate, to whom and by when. No reminder or note is complete without the date and time. If you have an assigned work area or cabin, use post-its with the required details. Focus on ideas, not just facts. Listening only for facts often impedes grasping the speaker's meaning.
Five: Paraphrase what the speaker says Paraphrasing is your version of essential information or ideas uttered by the speaker and presented in a new form. This outline focuses on a single main idea. The process that is involved in paraphrasing helps us remember (what we hear) as well. It also creates trust and a speaker learns that you did grasp what he or she said. Reflecting what we hear, to each other, helps give each a chance to become aware of the different levels a speaker and listener may be at. This brings things into the open where they can be more readily resolved. Avoid rushing or interrupting the speaker. Changing the subject is often taken for lack of interest; don't change it until you are sure the conversation is over. Asking questions to clear the grey areas and to demonstrate interest could prove helpful.
Want to improve your English?
Six: Do not assume Nothing can be a bigger sin for a listener than to assume. We assume ideas, thoughts, and sometimes even facts and figures. We try to be correct all the time and that blocks learning and the influx of new ideas. Avoid jumping to conclusions and anticipate what a person is trying to say. Imagine yourself in the speaker's situation and then form a frame of mind. It shows that you welcome what the speaker has to say.

Remember the old poem:A wise old owl lived in an oak.The more he saw, the less he spoke.The less he spoke, the more he heard.Why can't we all be like that bird?

Success is a participative and collective process...

The Corn Story

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning CORN. Each year he entered his CORN in the state fair where it won honor and prizes. Once a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir, "said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbors’ corn also improves. So it is in the other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well.

Success does not happen in isolation. It is very often a participative and collective process.

Courtesey: emaill circulated by my friend.

Be aware of China...

We need to learn from the Chinese Draggon.

Is China doing right thing in Tibet? Mixed opinions. China is a Superpower for sure and they have their own style of resolving issues. India definitely needs to learn a lot from them. The way China has handelled Tibet issue, India should also apply the same strategy in Kashmir.

There are huge contrasts between Kashmir and Tibet. Kashmir was united to india willingly by the then king. majority of the population was Pro Indian. Whereas in case of Tibbet it was just overpowered by mighty draggon by force. India is still in debating mode as far as resolving Kashimr is concerned. Mr. Nehru has already donated half of Kashmir to Pakistan. Whereas in case of China, they had just crushed any oppossition and protected their own internal interests. Even USA can't dare to meddle inbetween. We Indians can't even retaliate against the tiny Pakistani's.
India's problem is we become too emotional,sentimental. We try to apply ahinsa/satyagraha everywhere. So far We just wasted 2-3 beautiful opportunities to resolve and acquire the Kashmir land from Paki's. See China, they just don't allow any sort of unrest in the region. Again we should not go to this extreme, but when the same old strategy of dialogues and discussions seems to be not working, then why not become bit bold. Whom do we fear? Don't we have guts?

One more thing, India needs to be very bit careful while dealing with China. We should not be over confident like Mr. Nehru. China has endorsed Kashmir as India's internal issue, I appreciate the similar stand taken by India. But now on we need to be more careful and prepared. Tomorrow China may very well come back and start claiming Arunachal Pradesh as it's own. Mr. Manmohan Singh, the response should be different and just can't be the same. Please don't sell India. Honorable Mr. Nehru/Gandhi have already done this at two occassions. Be bold folks. What are you afraid of? And why? Please don't do another Kashmir/Aksai Chin there...



Jai Hind.

Mumbaitale 'RAJ'karan

For the past 1 month we have been reading a lot pertaining to the ongoing war between few leaders in Mumbai and the North Indian people/politicians. And the cause is to protect the rights of marathi manoon.
Different people interpreting the whole problem in different ways. The political parties/media are trying to get mileage out of it. Myself being a marathi who is presently staying outside Maharashtra, was also curious and was following up the same since the beginning. I am not very sure how it started exactly, but the comments by Raj gave a good publicity to the whole episode and it all started in a big way. It became a national issue and Raj also became national Hero inbetween.:-)
It won't be easy to say who started it all. We can't blame a single person here. Also it is not so easy to easily justify if whatever Raj did was right or wrong. I won't be writing anything on that as enough has been discussed so far. It's just few points which I felt should be discussed and everybody should be aware of. If one thinks carefully, there are many unspoken things which one must ponder upon. Forget the political angle, but one really needs to think about the core issue. I am also a Marathi, I have stayed in Mumbai and I have closely seen/faced few things. As we say Mumbai is a metro city in true sense. It has always accepted people from all over the country. There is a saying in Hindi that 'Yaha koi Bukha nahee raheta' (Everybody survives in Mumbai). Yes, for decades people from all part of the country, from all races, poor and rich all have come to Mumbai and got sucked into it's lifeline. Mumbai changed fortunes of many. So the so called migrants coming to Mumbai is not new. Then why this sudden outburst. The outburst is also not new. Almost 40 years ago, when Balasaheb Thakarey formed 'Shivsena', the same agitation against the South Indians/North Indians had happened. And it has continued at regular intervals. And yes he benefitted from it to certain extent. His party ruled Maharashtra for a shroter stint.

Mumbai

Why so many people come to Mumbai. Because it is the financial/economical hub, used to be the industrial hub till mid nineties. Film Industry, stock market, IT Industry, Underworld head qurters all were housed here. The growth/development of the city started much earlier compared to other cities in India. Take the examples of Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad it's just past 15 years since the development began. Moreover Mumbai had so called open culture. 'Atithi Devo bhav', everybody is treated like a guest here. Hindi/English were the primary languages spoken here and not Marathi. What else anybody would have expected. So in 60s/70s the industry was also pretty much concentrated here. And the result was but obvious. The jobs were getting created, it needed huge manpower. Jobs were not available so easily in other states.

Till that time all was fine. But eventually what started happening was all the jobs were getting captured by the outsiders. Yes, all low scale/high scale jobs were going to outsider. And the local people were almost thrown out of their jobs which were inherited from their forefathers. All low scale jobs such as labourers, cab drivers, riksha drivers, mill workers, Fisherman, Sabjeewala, middle management, top management, literally all the jobs. These lower or lower middle class people form the masses of society. And when the so called 'bhoomiputra' become jobless/unemployed, that's when the problem starts. I strongly beleive this is what has started happening recently. Say there are some 300 odd jobs available in Railway recruitement and almost 275 go to outsiders, who will not feel bad. Obviously there will be some sort of resentment among the people. On top of it there is this arrogance showed by these outsiders, then there comes the show of strength and the issue become complecated.

Government needs to sit back and think seriously, rather than detaining few people. There should be a concious effort to protect the rights of the locals. You can't make the locals jobless at the cost of outsiders. The industry should not be concentrated at one region. The decentralization of industry has just started happening, but still no sincere efforts have been made by the policy makers. The north states(Rajastan, UP, Bihar, MP) and the north indian states still lack the basic infrastructure and the industries. All the growth still concentrated to few states down south. Wake up government, wake up.
Local people, are we putting in enough hardwork? When someoutsider comes and snatches your job literally. Have you ever though why it has happened? Because he is willing to do all the hardwork. It's question of his survival. Whereas we have become complacent. We don't want to do the low end jobs. We directly want to become managers. "Wakayachee tayareech nahee ajibaat'. Obviously how will you survive in the competition.
Politicains please learn!Coming back to the above episode, the political parties are just taking mileage out of it. They are just trying to play with the emotions and sentiments of the people. I am not defending or justifying what 'Raj' did. But based on whatever little I have learnt, he is enjoying a huge support. Many people may not have openly supported him, but yes he has huge support of masses.
So it will be wrong if you detain Raj or extend the GAG order. This is not at all solving the root problem. If it is 'Bal Thakarey' or 'Raj' Thakarey', tomorrow there will be somebody else. Also Raj never told people to attack the cabbies, Samosawalas, it was all the people who vented their anger.
All the politicians are playing enough with the emotions with people. In fact I strongly believe that they provoke the innocent people, who are otherwise living in harmony. What's the need for 'Amarsingh' and 'Mulayam SIngh' yadav to come down to Mumbai and perform the Shakti pradarshan. We all very well know there leaders have been literally thrown out of the power by Su. Shri Mayawati. Amar Singh and Mulayam are job less in UP and trying to Shakti pradarshan in Mumbai. What's the need for out Honorable Lalu Prasad to challenge 'Raj' Thakaray about the CHAAT Pooja. They need to focus more on their state and not poke nose in other states. Can they do the same in Tamilnadu, West Bengal?
Why are people trying to give a rigional angle to whole issue without solving the root cause. Also are the Gujrati's, South Indians, Bengali's not staying in Mumbai peacefully. Have their leaders ever tried to do any sort of shakti pradarshan in Mumbai. Did anyone ever heard of any issues between Gujrati/marwadi/sindhi and the marathis. Forget mumbai, The gujrati's/marwari's are everywhere in India. They have peacefully setteled in other parts of the world and they have become part and parcle of the scociety where they have setteled. Why the UP/Bihari can't do the same. Why they try to create another UP and Bihar wherever they go? There was even a bigger mess which happened I believe in Orissa. One Bihari comes and then 100 come along with him. No issues with that. But if you are in Maharashtra or anywhere, then respect the local culture. You can not try to force your culture on others. recently I read that the north Indian corporators were demanding 'Hindi' to be made as official language in Mumbai corporation. First of all why is that so? Will you make Marathi as the official language in UP and Bihar corporations. Some Delhi senior office named 'Melhotra' himself has talked about the attitude problem of these UP and Bihari people. Raj has been refrained from making provokative statments. How about Amarsingh, Lalu Prasad, Au Azami???
Politicians, you are all elected leaders of house. Don't yu think it's your responsibility to behave sensibly.?