The Business Bulletin
What makes a good manager? We probably all remember that one person, who looking back was a great manager. If we wrote down a list of the behaviours and attributes that stood out for us, it would probably be quite random and might not even make much sense. However, it’s more than likely that one of the things you noted was something to do with them being a good listener.
Epictetus’s quote “We have two
we are going to say. This means
ears and one mouth so that we can
that we miss what other people are
listen twice as much as we speak,” is
saying and this can be detrimental to
something worth remembering. If you
management and business success.
are one of those managers who want
As a manager, it’s essential that
to jump in first and give advice or tell
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people what to do, you need to stop and think. Because by talking you are preventing yourself from listening.
Creating a positive working environment According to research, being a good listener is a sign of emotional maturity and sound communication skills, which are key for being an effective manager. You might think that listening comes easily and
you ask more questions, pause to give people space to share more of their thoughts, acquire information, seek to fully understand what other people are saying and then reflect on what you have heard before you finally respond. Because if you have good listening skills, it’s easier to build respect, create strong, meaningful and lasting relationships with your staff, boost engagement and build a more positive working environment.
naturally, because let’s face it most
Hearing is not listening
of us have been listening all our lives.
Don’t mistake hearing for listening.
However surprisingly, many people
Listening means that not only are you
rarely actively and attentively listen
gathering the facts, but you are also
to others. Instead, we get distracted,
trying to understand the emotions
preoccupied and can become
and unspoken feelings attached to
focused on the importance of what
what you’re discussing. And words only
38 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development
