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Ask the Right Questions...Then Listen!
by Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.
(This report is an excerpt from the book Power Exchange).
Asking questions is a long-established principle to demonstrate respect, diffuse tense situations, obtain buy-in and make employees feel valued in a way that financial rewards cannot.
Ever wonder what a leader who doesn't listen and Seinfeld have in common?
A little background first...
Although asking questions is a powerful leadership tool, don't ask if you won't listen. "The ear bone is connected to the eye bone." In other words, turning a deaf ear to employee input results in a visual impairment - blind spots.
Remember what Mark Twain said: “If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one ear.” Powerful leaders listen at least 50 percent of the time. If you’re not listening to your employees, you will gradually build “blind spots” – weaknesses that are apparent to others, but not to you.
Watch a quick video that gives you a view
from the outside, then read on about the connection to
Seinfeld!
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Listen, Really Listen
Consider a classic episode of Seinfeld featuring Elaine while she was the acting president of her company. She couldn’t figure out why her entire staff was suddenly shying away from her. She quickly blamed her friend George for her seeming downfall at the office. This all started to happen after a company party where Elaine, thinking she was a good dancer, did not hesitate to show off a few of her moves. Unfortunately, this was a HUGE blind spot for Elaine. It was painfully clear to everyone else that Elaine was a horrible dancer as she flailed and contorted her way across the floor!
As a viewer, you could feel the tingle of embarrassment for her and the dread if you should ever find yourself in such a situation. Fortunately for Elaine, she had an incredibly blunt friend in Kramer who, in no uncertain terms, revealed her blind spot saying, “You stink!”
Learn from Elaine. Listen to your employees, particularly your “Kramers.”
Powerful leaders prevent blind spots by making concerted efforts to keep in tune with the realities of their employees – listening for the truth.
This is particularly important because the higher you are in an organization, the more filtered the information you receive. It’s a natural and predictable phenomenon, but it’s also a precarious position for any leader. No leader wants to be “Elaine on the dance floor.” Therefore, the higher your leadership position, the more listening you need to do.
Ask your employees what they think, listen to their answers and you will be one step closer to boosting accountability and performance.
Click here to view sample pages from the book.
Copyright © 2005 by Lee J. Colan
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