Who's listening?

Ironically, in my previous position as an employment counselor/supervisor, my office manager was the root of most of the interpersonal problems in our office. No one was permitted to question his actions or directives, no matter how tyrannical or ineffective they would be. He was literally a tyrant and refused to listen to or to take advice from anyone. I realize now that there is little doubt that failure to listen is probably the cause of more problems than any other aspect of human behavior (Lu, 2005). Supervisors were afraid to voice opinion(s) and, when they dared to, no one would listen for fear of a managerial reprimand. We would often engage in non-verbal dialogue. No wonder our office eventually closed!

Today, fortunately, such tyrannical behavior would not be tolerated. Managers need to trust their employees for positive (or negative) feedback. McGarvey (1996) "suggests that trust is an important part of listening competency today. Managers can learn more about problems in the workplace by listening to their employees. The employees feel more valued when their supervisors listen to their opinions, and we trust people who listen to us" (McGarvey, 1996).

Effective managerial leaders should have "large ears, a big heart or both" (Lucia, 1997). Leaders must take the time to listen to their employees and stay in tune with their feelings. Lucia states that "caring and feeling--are very much intertwined. Effective leaders listen empathetically" (Lucia, 1997).

If our office manager would have listened to our problems and concerns, our office would probably still be open today. So, take heed: make sure that you listen!

References

Lu, J (2005). The listening style inventory (LSI) as an instrument for improving listening skill. Sino-US English Teaching, 2(5), 45-50.

McGarvey, R (1996). Now hear this: lend your employees an ear - and boost productivity. Entrepreneur, v.24, n. 6, p. 87 (3).

Lucia, A (1997). Leaders know how to listen. HR Focus, v. 74, n. 4, p. 25(1).