“ Seek to understand before being understood” Stephen R. Covey
This quote from Mr. Covey sums up well the approach that should be taken by leaders in order to ensure good communication during their interactions with their employees and collaborators.
Encouraging innovation through listening
Good communication begins with active listening by the leader who strives to understand the point of view, values, perceptions and paradigms of his team members in order to find the best approach to take when the time comes to speak and guide his team towards excellence.
Many people try to take control of conversations to share their perspective and try to influence those around them. This gives a sense of importance, but often prevents introverted or less assertive people from sharing their point of view.
Although less stingy with attention, these people have the same needs for recognition and contribution to the team.
By taking the time to listen to them, they can bring us a new perspective on the situation and open up a new field of possibilities.
As a leader, it will be your responsibility to identify them and give them a place in your team.
The information shared by your employees will allow the good leader to adapt his communication style according to his audience. The ability to adjust his language, tone and examples according to the context makes the message more relevant and understandable for each interlocutor.
The first pillar of building an effective work team is gaining the trust of your colleagues. Transparently communicating your intentions to prioritize listening in order to understand the reality of the department or team under your charge will demonstrate your openness, which will create an environment of trust where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, asking questions and sharing opinions.
Open communication allows employees to feel heard and valued. By being an approachable leader and encouraging the exchange of ideas, the manager creates a workplace where team members are engaged in the thought process, which fosters innovation. Employees who feel heard are more likely to actively contribute and propose creative solutions.
Many managers excel more in a directive approach where they are in charge of the strategy, the actions to be accomplished and the establishment of the roles and responsibilities of all the members of their team.
This will make it important for you to explain why you are prioritizing listening and collaboration as the anchor of your management to the members of your team.
You will need to clearly articulate your vision, goals, and expectations. This effective communication helps ensure that everyone is aligned and understands your approach.
This reduces misunderstandings and helps to reassure employees who are normally used to carrying out the manager’s requests and not participating in developing the best strategy to take to achieve the objectives.
Managing the Challenges of Collaborative Listening
Caution: Depending on the group under your responsibility, the approach based on listening and collaboration may be perceived as a posture of weakness by employees who will use this openness to test your authority and legitimacy.
It will be important for you to eliminate this misconduct as soon as possible by taking a firm and decisive stance. It would therefore be advisable to take the lead when explaining your approach in order to clarify your expectations.
You remain responsible for decision-making and there is a courteous and respectful approach to expressing disagreement or reservation about the approach you are going to decide on.
It is not through a direct attack on your credibility in front of the group or through gossip that things are resolved, but through an open discussion where everyone can express their opinion.
Transforming tensions into opportunities
If tension seems to be building during your presentations to the group, ask employees to come meet with you at the end of the meeting to take the time to fully understand their issues and clarify the situation. Remember that a good communicator can defuse tensions and turn conflicts into opportunities for improvement.
An effective leader fosters an environment where feedback flows freely and constructively. They not only know how to give clear and caring feedback, but also how to receive it to improve their own performance. This feedback culture encourages continuous improvement, learning and growth within the team.
Leadership through communication
In short, a good communicator does not just transmit information; he creates connections, inspires trust, mobilizes his team and fosters a culture of openness and collaboration. For a leader, mastery of communication is not only a technical skill, but also an essential strategic lever to lead his team to success.
~~~
Resources
If you liked the quote at the beginning of the article, I encourage you to read Mr. Covey’s works. I have two of his books in my collection:
First Things First and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .
His son Stephen MR Covey is also an author and I own his book: The Speed of Trust .
These are books that I recommend and which have greatly helped me in my journey.
~~~
Need help improving your leadership skills or building a culture of caring leadership?
Please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to listen to you and provide you with the tools you need for the future.
Always remember: how does your mood impact your performance and overall attitude? Imagine if all your employees or collaborators were happy…
Carl-Michael Tessier – Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
Leave a Reply