I am sure we have all been in the situation when we shared something that we learned and were super excited about with someone and their reaction was not what you were expecting. Not to say that everyone should agree with you and do things your way, but there is a way to make people listen to new ideas and opposing view points. When we talk about learning, this is very important because we are all here to improve ourselves and our organizations - what's the point if you can't get them to buy into what you are selling? Good leaders should be able to actively listen to new ideas, challenge and question these ideas, give feedback to help push further, and model the behaviors/skill set/talent you are looking to promote.
Active Listening > Challenge/Question
I am linking these two together because it is really impossible to ask the right questions without active listening. I have had the pleasure of working with some great listeners but have also worked with some not so great listeners. From my experience, active listening in planning stages leads to much better implementation. While you cannot foresee every issue, active listening allows people to ask thoughtful questions and challenge any assumptions that may cause problems down the road.
Constructive Criticism/Feedback
When critically evaluating a new process, it is normal - and I would argue better - to disagree on things. If groups come together and all have the same thoughts, outlook, ideas, etc. you have to imagine they are forgetting something! The more important thing is to challenge and discuss in a manner that if effective for the group. If you irritate people, they are less likely to listen to the huge point you made - that's not good for anyone.
Modeling Behavior
How frustrating is it when a new process is announced and most people are doing it but some are not or maybe everyone must change but management is exempt? It is really important that leadership is modeling whatever changes are taking place - it will help others see value in the change. If leadership is not modeling behavior, lasting change is going to be harder to achieve. While buy-in from the whole group is an unrealistic expectation, it will be important for those who believe in the change to model behavior, this will help to create buy-in. Recognizing that this is a process, and it may be a very slow process depending on your organization's resistance to change, is important. The people that are most inspiring (to me at least) are the ones who are doing something I want to achieve - if you can pull on that feeling to inspire workers you will tap into inspiring people to become a part of your change!
Jane, your post covers some very relevant behaviors that will help support and challenge learning in meaningful ways. Two points from your post that are most valuable :
ReplyDelete1. It is really impossible to ask the right questions without active listening
I have been in some (unfortunate) meetings where someone was throwing a lot of questions at the presenter, but with the aim of showing off their own knowledge and without really listening to what the speaker was trying to convey. It is frustrating to deal with someone who does not listen before asking questions, because then either you have to end up repeating all the information or call the person out, both of which are not pleasant experiences.
2. If you irritate people, they are less likely to listen to the huge point you made. This is so relate-able! Often people who are too outspoken think that they are being "honest" when they critique or comment harshly without realizing that they are alienating people. While people on the receiving end are shutting them out for their tactlessness (no matter how valuable a point they made.