Center for Creative Leadership,  Aug. 2010

Putting the right people on a team doesn’t guarantee success. The most effective, high-performing teams are committed to learning.

As work and the working context become increasingly complex and ambiguous, teams and individual team members must be able to learn and adapt. This includes learning how to work together as a team.

Teams become high-learning teams when they implement four practices, according to Dennis Lindoerfer, author of “Learning Mode: Adapting and Innovating is Crucial for Teams.” The four practices are:

1. Establish a climate for learning in the team. Taking time to establish the environment and the processes for learning is the prerequisite for rapid learning and effective team performance in the future. Team members must actively ask questions, discuss errors, engage in experimentation and reflection and seek external feedback. In “high learning” teams, mistakes are analyzed for how improvements might be made; and feedback, both positive and negative, is considered to be essential and helpful rather than critical. The results of feedback and analysis are then put into action, and the cycle of reflection, evaluation and action continues.

In order for this to work, team members must trust that others will not embarrass, reject or punish them for speaking up or identifying errors or problems. They must also feel confident that team members will support each other during challenging times. However, this does not mean a lack of conflict within the team. Lindoerfer writes: “In fact, one of the most reliable indicators of teams that are learning is the visible and effective conflict of ideas. In great teams, conflict is frequent and productive.”

1. Assess your work together. Team members should routinely examine how they are working together to identify what is effective about their working methods and what is not, and to make decisions about how to alter their ways of operating to increase their effectiveness. The team will want to agree on metrics — such as adherence to norms set at the team’s beginning, progress against performance goals, effectiveness of team decision-making, performance against stakeholder expectations. Then team members can assess themselves against their metrics in ongoing, routine ways as a part of meetings or work sessions. Other periodic activities, such as after-action reviews or formal team assessments, should be factored into the team learning process as well.
2. Work with a team coach. A coach who is skilled in team dynamics and process facilitation can work directly with the team to help the members become more aware of what is working well within the team and what isn’t. The coach can provide information about alternative approaches, encouragement to the team for efforts to use this new information, and feedback to the team about the impact of these efforts. Coaches can also be used to facilitate the ongoing assessments and periodic assessments.
3. Manage knowledge. Capturing and disseminating emerging knowledge is essential for team learning. Teams need some disciplined approach to capture lessons learned and best practices from the team’s work and disseminate these among the team members and to others in the organization. The choice of method will be driven, to a large extent, by the information technology resources available to the team, knowledge management norms and expected practices in the larger organization.

Learning teams also know how to effectively acquire and disseminate new, “outside” knowledge relevant to the team’s tasks. This information may come from research partners, technical experts, competitors, business partners, stakeholders and other teams.

“When teams put together all four practices — establishing a climate for learning, assessing their work together, working with a team coach and effective knowledge management — they create a powerful lab for learning,” says Lindoerfer, who recently retired from CCL. “High-learning teams acquire and use knowledge as a byproduct of how they work. They know that team learning is not a separate activity or an occasional event. They value it and make time for it on a daily and weekly basis.”

This article is adapted from “Learning Mode: Adapting and Innovating is Crucial for Teams,” by Dennis Lindoerfer, Leadership in Action; Volume 28, Number 3; July/August 2008.

5 Types of Team Learning

Team effectiveness can be pursued and measured in varied ways. One practical and balanced way to look at the effectiveness of your team is by how well members are learning in five categories:

1. Task-related content learning, such as acquiring new information and skills about technical aspects of the team members’ work.
2. Process learning, such as figuring out more effective ways to clarify and resolve a point of conflict.
3. Individual learning, such as how marketing professionals gather customer feedback.
4. Interpersonal learning, such as how one team member’s direct work style may be viewed as aggressive by a teammate who has a different cultural background or personal style.
5. Team learning, such as effective ways to raise delicate issues about communication practices or decision-making processes.

Concepts from “Start with Humility: Lessons from America’s Quiet Leaders on how to Build Trust and Inspire Followers” (by Hayes & Comer) are used by CIO Insight to identify what to look for in staffing of leaders.

IT Careers says “Humility is not the first character trait that generally comes to mind when one thinks about what it takes to rise up the corporate ranks. Yet, some of America’s most successful executives are those who cultivate a quiet strength to create a winning corporate culture. The book Start With Humility: Lessons from America’s Quiet CEOs on How to Build Trust and Inspire Followers”

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How today’s managers and leaders make the best of bad news…

Restoring Productivity and

Morale after Layoffs

Is there a “right” way to downsize?

By Michael D. Comer

A major company decided to shut down an entire branch without coaching its managers in delivering the news. The CEO requested a meeting of all employees, but did not show up. Instead he sent the branch manager a FedEx box with termination packets and no instructions whatsoever. The manager opened the box and proclaimed “This is my last day with the company and I’m so selfish, I’m taking you all with me.” [1]

This story had been told widely in the marketplace as a way not to communicate layoffs. It was quoted in an article in aHarvardBusinessSchool publication with the footnote that the CEO’s reputation and trust were so damaged that it was difficult for his company to recover after the downsizing.

Is there a “right” way to downsize? As a member of a consulting firm specializing in organizational development and communications, I say empathetically “yes”. Our experience in working with over 1,500 companies in 30 years emphasizes six steps for the right way to downsize. Often business leaders strategize how those employees who leave will be assisted, but forget the morale impact on the “survivors.” This article concentrates on those who do not leave the company (i.e. the survivors) and how to restore productivity while rebuilding morale.

1. 1. Plan!

When layoffs are imminent, it is important for management to have a plan on how the layoff will be communicated and how it will assist the survivors. The best-managed companies develop this plan by reviewing prior changes, analyzing how the changes were made and making corrections based on their assessment. This plan should include: redefined tasks and responsibilities; strategies to assist managers in helping surviving employees adjust to organizational changes; communications on why changes are necessary and how roles will change; and plans on how to improve morale after the “grieving” period. One study shows that reduced commitment and diminished productivity can linger for up to a year after a layoff.[2] Proper planning can help employees engage sooner.

1. 2. Communicate concisely, clearly and frequently

For both managers and “survivors” layoffs are emotionally draining experiences. Like death, the loss of employees and peers requires a time of grief. It is often difficult for managers to know what to say and how to say it properly to those who are still with the corporation. Experts agree that it is better to communicate bad news when it is known than keep it waiting for a more appropriate time. Also don’t “sandwich” the news – i.e. good news – bad news – good news. Most employees know if the company is not doing well, and want to hear the news directly. However, at the same time the manager needs to communicate with the survivors how the organization plans to recover, the employees’ role in that recovery and why the changes are necessary.

The communication needs to be simple, explain the whys of decisions, and keep the communication two-way. Set up forums to answer questions, but always clarify the question behind the question. Acknowledge emotions. Take accountability. Ask yourself “what would I think if I were in this meeting?”

In our work with a major Fortune 100 company, the corporation used small group meetings to communicate news after the layoff in order to inform the “survivors”. They used consultants to assess the morale of the organization and provide advice on how to best deliver the right message.

1. 3. Stay visible

As a manager staying visible is important after announcing layoffs. Don’t hunker down in your office to plan what to do next. Workers want leaders who are accessible. You need to be seen more on the factory floor, answering questions, go to where the workforce is versus bringing them to you for a meeting. Sit in on product meetings, be part of shift changes, drop by lunch groups – visibility is key!

1. 4. Apply emphatic listening

Research shows that the person within the organization that has the most impact on an employee is the immediate manager. Often managers are required to console or counsel with survivors of downsized organizations. Managers with strong Emotional Quotient (EQ) may naturally be able to empathize with and consol survivors. However, many managers may require some points on the importance of “listening emphatically”.

Listening is trying to understand the ideas and feelings expressed by others. Good listeners use silence effectively. They postpone judgment about the other person’s feelings, attitudes and concerns until after they have completely heard the person. Body language is also important since it sends a strong message of whether someone is listening. Maintain eye contact, nod as appropriate, and show people you are listening.

Some companies establish “feedback loops”, where a manager periodically discusses with all employees his or her perception of the department’s performance and future.

1. 5. Maintain an environment of “trust”

. In today’s environment less than 50% trust upper management (and rightfully so).[3] However, most people trust their immediate manager. Because of this, the roles of manager and supervisor become more important to survival of the organization. Managers must reinforce the trust factor since many survivors may feel emotionally disappointed. Once trust is lost it is almost impossible to regain. Robert Bruce Shaw in his book Trust in the Balance, states that in today’s global business environment, trust is “the foundation on which high-performance organizations and teams are built.”

Shaw emphasizes three important elements of trust: achieving results, acting with integrity and demonstrating concern.[4]

One study shows that reduced commitment and diminished productivity can linger for up to a year after a layoff.

Using Shaw’s formula, managers must not only demonstrate empathetic concern, but are responsible for achieving results. Employees must understand that the charge of the manager is to ensure the organization survives and must trust him to make and communicate the right decisions

1. 6. Develop survivor’s skills

Many people, after they pass a period of missing their friends and colleagues, realize that their roles and responsibilities have changed. In some cases they pick up additional duties from others or are required to learn new skills. The effective manager proactively anticipates changes in roles and communicates these changes to the employees. Also, the manager must realize that surviving employees may require additional training (on-the-job or formal training) and there is a learning curve before the person is fully productive.

Our experience shows that effective managers understand what employees work for and know how to respond to their “wants”. There are instruments available that assist managers in understanding what motivates employees, but generally we say, “Ask them”. However, just understanding the “wants” is not enough. In a new downsized environment the manager must create an atmosphere of motivation. Thad Green and Merwyn Hayes, in the book The Belief System, states that employees need to believe: (1) they can do the job (confidence); (2) they believe management will reward their performance (trust), and (3) the outcomes will satisfy them (satisfaction).[5] Managers who understand these three beliefs are better prepared to create an environment that can improve morale.

With any change, there is a period of adjustment. Research shows that with downsizing there is usually a sense of anguish brought about by heightened job insecurity and the loss of friends, a neutral stage (a sort of healing time), and a time when survivors become productive employees again.[6] Effective managers realize that planning, communication/listening, visibility, trust, and employee development are necessary to move employees quickly through these stages and to do downsizing “right.”

Dr. Michael Comer is a Consulting Partner at The Hayes Group International in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Hayes Group International specializes in organizational consulting, training, surveys/assessments, and mergers/ acquisitions for over 1,500 organizations in more than 30 countries of the world. For more information of the Hayes Group see www.thehayesgroupintl.com

[1] Robbins, S. “How to Communicate Layoffs” Harvard Management Communication Letter, July 2001

[2] See Kiviat, B. “After Layoffs, There’s Survivor’s Guilt” www.time.com/time/business, 2009

[3] See Time: Business & Tech at www.time.com

[4] For more information see: Shaw, R. (1997). Trust in the Balance:San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

[5] For more information see: Green, T. & Hayes, M. (1993) The Belief System: the Secret of Motivation and Improved Performance: Beechwood Press

[6] Boroson, W. & Burgess, L. (1992) “Survivor’s Syndrome” Across the Board Journal

In the fall when you see Geese heading south for the winter flying along in the “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way.

It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following.
By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Quite similar to people who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.

Whenever a Goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.

If we have as much sense as a Goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed in the same way that we are going.

When the lead Goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wings and another Goose takes over.

It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.

The Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.

Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just – well .. honking!

Finally, when a Goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out, two Geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, then they launch out with another formation to catch up with their group.

When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a Goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.

The next time you see a formation of Geese, remember their message that:

“It is indeed a reward, a challenge and a privilege to be a contributing member of a team.”

Author Unknown

Listening is not always recognized as a skill. Many of us assume listening is automatic, that if we are within hearing range, listening will occur without any special effort on our part. Yet we are confronted on a daily basis with evidence that people do not listen well.

Parents do not listen to children. Students do not listen to teachers. Managers do not listen to employees. Unfortunately, we often do not listen to those who are most important to us. Poor listening can create problems caused by lack of information and misunderstanding.

Good listening is important in dealing with people. It helps us know whether or not our instructions are understood. It helps us understand people and their problems. It leads us to new ideas and better information. It helps build good relationships based on trust and understanding. Lastly, it can avoid a whole range of problems that are caused by poor communication.

The Role of Listening in Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is an exchange process. Information flows back and forth. The sender and receiver continuously exchange roles. If one person fails to listen, his/her response may be inappropriate, or not responsive to the sender’s message. Not only does this disrupt the flow of communication, it can imply to the sender that the receiver didn’t care enough about the conversation to pay attention. Between friends this is embarrassing. Between an employee and a customer or a parent and a child, failure to listen can cause real problems. Important information can be missed resulting in a poor decision. To make matters worse, one person may assume the other has information and act accordingly. Also, when one person realizes the other is not listening, he or she is less likely to have confidence in future communication with that person.

Listening is the ability to understand information communicated orally. It goes beyond simply receiving information. Listening includes receiving information visually (such as facial expressions), interpreting the sender’s timing and use of space, clarifying misunderstood messages and providing the speaker with a continuing flow of nonverbal encouragement and reaction.

Listening is equally complicated where face-to-face communication is not a factor, as with a telephone conversation. Here again, information exchanged involves hearing words that are being transmitted. But the good listener is also influenced by the speaker’s choice of words, tone of voice, speech rate, volume and length of pauses.

Whether the communication is face-to-face or by telephone, listening is an extremely complex process. It is especially important that one understands the significance of the listening process.

Barriers to Effective Listening

It is important to understand the barriers that stand in the way of effective listening. Awareness of these potential barriers is the first step toward improving listening skills.

Fragmented Attention Span

Listening is hard work. It takes energy to keep our attention focused on what someone is saying to us. In the middle of a conversation it is common for us to let our attention wander from what is being said, to focus instead on our broken lawn mower, the fact that our income tax is due next week, or the conversation we had with someone else a little earlier. Our attention wanders away, then wanders back, in and out of the present conversation. This is sometimes called “hop-skip-and-jump” listening.

The reason for this fragmented attention lies in the speed with which the mind can handle incoming information. There is much debate about how rapidly the brain can comprehend the spoken word, but at minimum it can receive and digest information at the rate of 400 to 600 words per minute. People do not speak this rapidly. Most people in the United States speak at a rate of 125 to 175 words per minute, much slower than the brain of the listener understands the words. Therefore the mind has a lot of extra time to focus on other ideas rather than zeroing in on what is being said. Attention is easily divided rather than focused.

Our ability to focus on what is being said also depends on how well motivated we are to listen. If we are highly motivated, other ideas and thoughts are not very attractive. But if we don’t care very much about what the other person is saying, other thoughts and ideas become more attractive, and our mind is likely to wander.

Unfortunately, another problem which develops from the fragmented attention span is the fact that many people become highly skilled at convincing the sender that listening is going on when it is not. Parents continue to read the morning paper and nod occasionally when a child attempts to communicate. Following the parents’ example, the children learn to “tune out” much of a parental lecture while appearing to listen. A manager preoccupied with an upcoming meeting may go through the motions of listening to a subordinate but end up with no clear understanding of what was said. The employee leaves believing the manager understood the message, satisfied that the responsibility to communicate has been discharged. It may be that those of us who pretend to listen deserve what happens to us as a result!

External Distractions

Characteristics of the Sender – During a conversation the listener may become aware of some unusual characteristic of the sender. For example, the sender may have a spot on his tie, or her slip may be showing, or he/she may have crooked teeth. Any characteristic that departs from the norm has the potential to distract us. Instead of listening, we may be saying to ourselves, “Is that really mustard on his tie?” We become so fascinated by the unusual aspect of the sender that we stop listening, at least for a time.

The speaker’s delivery can also be a distraction. A slight lisp, a southern drawl, even a variation in speech pattern can draw our attention away from the message being communicated.

The Environment – Most of us have had the experience of conversing at a party with one person while overhearing a nearby conversation that is far more interesting. Our conversation is about the state of the economy while the nearby conversation deals with a neighborhood scandal. Or at work we may be listening while someone describes a problem and suddenly realize that an important customer is carrying on an animated conversation with our secretary in the outer office. In both situations we are distracted from the current conversation by another activity. Sights, sounds, activities, smells can all distract us and make it difficult to listen effectively. We may struggle to pay attention, but our mind wanders to the distraction as if drawn by a magnet.

The physical setting itself can be a listening distraction. If the room is too hot or cold, the ventilation poor, or the sun blinding our vision, listening becomes difficult. Uncomfortable chairs, an awkward seating arrangement (too far apart or too close), or the presence of a physical barrier such as a large desk or lamp between the speaker and listener, can hamper the listening process.

We must recognize that the entire setting in which a conversation occurs can cause distractions. A poorly planned time and place for communication undermines our ability to listen.

Taking Too Many Notes – There are times when a listener should take notes in order to remember what has been communicated. Ideally the listener jots down main ideas, a word or two at a time, in order to reconstruct the essence of the conversation later. But at times the listener can be come so concerned about not missing anything that note taking interferes with the listening process. The listener understands only fragments of the total message.

There is also the danger that the listener taking notes becomes so concerned about recording every “fact” that the connection between facts and feeling accompanying those facts is missed. This problem, sometimes called “fact listening,” can also occur without note taking when the listener is more concerned with facts than with the total message.

Internal Distractions

We cannot blame all the listening barriers on external distractions. Our personal experiences and attitudes present the major stumbling blocks to listening.

Emotional Defense – At times a sender will unintentionally use a word, phrase, or idea that sends the listener into an emotional tailspin. We as listeners carry around inside our heads a set of beliefs, values, prejudices and philosophies. People who are sending messages frequently bump into these emotional “blind spots” without realizing it. When one of these “red flag words” is spoken, the listener tends to stop listening. Instead, he/she ponders why the sender made such a statement or fumes inside at the implied insult.

Premature Dismissal – The amount of attention we pay to what people say depends in part on the history of our relationship with them. We listen carefully to people who usually have worthwhile things to say, but there are others who we dismiss before they begin. We tell ourselves they haven’t said anything important in the past so it is unlikely that they will say anything of merit this time. The problem with dismissing someone prematurely is that just this once he/she might have something important to say.

We like to listen to people whose biases are similar to ours, but it is easy to “turn off” someone whose views conflict with ours. Unfortunately, a closed mind to differing ideas is not the way to develop good listening.

We also dismiss people because of the topic that is being discussed (we may not be interested), the position of the person (“. . customers are all crazy these days”), or the general context of the conversation (“nobody ever says anything of significance in these meetings”).

Refutation – Although we sometimes “dismiss” messages, another approach when we feel the message is not in accord with our personal bias is to listen and refute. When we begin to prepare our answer while the sender is still speaking, however, we are no longer listening well. Jumping ahead to refute the speaker before he/she finishes puts an end to the listening process. Our ego involvement has decreased our listening activity.

Inner Anxiety –Another barrier to good listening lies in our inner anxieties. From time to time we all have personal problems and anxieties. How will we pay this month’s bills? Why has our son not written from school? Or, where am I heading? What is my future? When our mind is preoccupied with personal problems and anxieties, good listening becomes extremely difficult.

Fatigue – A barrier to good listening which should not be forgotten is fatigue. When one is mentally or physically pushed to the limit, the concentration necessary for good listening is almost impossible to achieve. The fatigue following a sleepless night, a long weekend, or unusual physical activity will definitely hinder one’s ability to be a good listener.

As was stated earlier, understanding the barriers to good listening is the first step toward improving our listening skill. To become a good listener, however, the understanding of these barriers must be followed by a concentrated effort to overcome them.

Overcoming Listening Barriers

We can all improve our listening skills. First, we must make a firm commitment to improve, recognizing that good listening is necessary for effective communication. Second, we must take the responsibility for improved listening skills. It is easy to blame others for poor communication by saying, “she misled me” or “he talks in circles.” In accepting responsibility for good communication, we must sometimes compensate for the inadequacies of the sender. Third, we must recognize that listening is hard work. We must put energy into listening rather than acting as a passive receptacle for the words of others. Finally, we must be aware of the barriers to effective listening as they apply to us. For example, we should learn to recognize our own patterns of emotional deafness, premature dismissal, and pretended attention. What follows is a set of specific suggestions for improving listening skills.

Control Time and Place

Our ability to listen is affected in important ways by both time and place. As a general rule, whenever we sense that time or place is interfering with our ability to listen, we should take the initiative to move the conversation to a new time or a different place.

If someone wishes to communicate a message to us a few moments after we have received bad news, we may be so preoccupied with that news that we are unable to listen attentively. A father who has just learned of his son’s truancy from school may have trouble listening to his friend discuss next week’s golf pairings. In these instances the effective listener might say, “Excuse me, but this is a bad time for this conversation to occur. I have a number of things on my mind. Could I call you later this evening?”

Similarly, it is difficult to be a good listener in a conversation that occurs near a noisy machine or in a small room while several other people are speaking. In such cases the effective listener could say, “I’m having trouble listening to you because of this noisy machine. Could we move this conversation elsewhere?” It is usually a mistake to struggle with listening when the timing or the environment interferes significantly with the listening process.

On the other hand, the good listener, or the speaker who wishes to be listened to, can plan in advance for a good listening environment. It is a good idea to check the temperature, close a window if necessary to keep out noise, open a window if necessary for ventilation and arrange the seating appropriately. In planning the best environment for good listening, one should remember that a comfortable, quiet, relaxed atmosphere is most desirable.

On those occasions when we cannot control the time or place, and it interferes with our ability to listen, other listening techniques (such as active listening) must be employed to assure good communication.

Be a Good Sending Model

One way to improve our listening skill is to demonstrate good sending skills to those with whom we communicate frequently. This is done by controlling the setting (time and place) in which the sending is done, organizing what we send in advance, sharing the agenda for communication before sending, announcing new topics before moving ahead, summarizing from time to time and encouraging interaction with the listener throughout a conversation.

Another way to encourage good listening is to speed up the presentation of our message. Remembering that the average listener hears over twice as fast as most of us speak, eliminating long pauses and “ah’s” will serve to aid the listening process. In addition, an actual speeding up on one’s delivery will in effect require greater concentration on the part of the listener and thus aid his/her listening process.

On the other hand, the effective sender is also sensitive to subtle signs that the listener has not understood something and takes the time to encourage the listener to ask for clarification. The listener may frown or look puzzled. This is the sender’s signal to stop, clear up that point, and move on only when the listener truly understands. When the listener is taking notes, an effective sender may stop sending periodically to allow the listener to complete a particular phrase or idea.

In short, the effective sender organizes information, delivers it fluently, controls distractions, encourages interaction and displays sensitivity to the listener’s lack of understanding. The good sender demonstrates good communication for others to follow.

Be a Reactive Listener

During any conversation, the sender is taking in information at the very time information is being sent. The sender is aware of nods, smiles, frowns, shifts in position, eye contact, note taking and other signals from the listener, all of which

demonstrate that listening is going on. The effective listener makes an effort to supply the sender with a continuous flow of such signals. These signals have a reassuring effect on the sender and encourage him/her to put maximum energy into the sending process.

Eye contact is an especially important factor in reassuring the sender. An affirmative nod can also be very helpful. On the other hand, it is important not to overdo this flow of feedback to the sender. Constant nodding of the head, rapid switches between smiles and frowns, can be distracting to the sender and therefore interfere with communication. Provide only the encouragement that the sender needs, no more and no less.

Take Notes Where Appropriate

When we take notes as a listener, we imply to the sender that we consider the conversation of specific importance. This is of great significance when senders consider their messages to be of some urgency. For example, an employee may have a complaint about the company which requires action by the manager. By taking notes, the manager communicates to the employee that the message is indeed being taken seriously. Research proves that people who are upset are reassured if the listener takes notes, assuming the sender wishes the listener to take some sort of action.

But there are also times when note taking interferes with the communication. If the sender wishes to speak “off the record,” it is time for the listener to lay down the pen or pencil and simply listen. This communicates respect for the sender’s desire to keep the message private. Note taking can interfere with communication when the sender is offended by note taking itself. It is frequently important to ask permission to take notes.

When taking notes, it is generally a good idea to jot down only main ideas not facts or examples. When we concentrate on facts or examples, we often lose the main ideas. We also find ourselves writing more and listening less. Notes should be brief and if necessary reviewed and filled in immediately after the conversation. As a general rule, the fewer notes taken the better since the act of note taking can interfere with listening.

Catch Yourself

During the conversation we usually know when we have not been paying attention. Having made a commitment to become better listeners, we are obliged to “catch hold” of ourselves and force our attention back to the conversation. If this is done quickly, we can usually pick up the thread of conversation without too much effort. But if we discover we are lost, it is extremely important to interrupt the speaker, admit that our mind has been wandering, apologize and request that

some of the information be repeated. While this is often embarrassing, it is less so than if the listener makes a bad decision based on incomplete information. The willingness to admit that we have not paid attention requires courage, and this is where commitment comes in the commitment to become a better listener.

But the real trick is to catch hold of ourselves as soon as we become aware that we are not paying attention and force ourselves to listen again immediately. This can become a positive habit which replaces the negative habit of allowing our minds to wander.

Listen Alertly

Rather than let internal or external distractions get the best of us, we must be alert listeners. No matter how boring the topic may appear or how poorly the message is delivered, we must listen for something useful to us, constantly sorting out ideas of possible value.

The alert listener is sensitive to the total meaning to the feeling of the message as well as the content. We must listen between the lines to the tone, volume, facial expressions and bodily movement, all of which contribute to the total message. If we think with the speaker, not for or about him/her, we will receive the total message more clearly and accurately.

Whether or not we agree with the bias of the speaker, as alert listeners we listen with an open mind. We are willing to challenge our own views, with the ideas presented by the speaker. We concentrate on receiving the speaker’s message.

Active Listening

Probably the most powerful tool available to a listener is called active listening. Whereas a “reactive” listener gives the sender a continuing flow of nonverbal signals, an “active” listener takes part in the conversation as an equal participant. As used here, the term “active listener” involves (1) continually acting as if there is a need to repeat back what is heard to the sender; (2) selectively repeating back what is heard to the sender, using different language; (3) requesting clarification when necessary; and (4) identifying and reflecting the emotional part of a message back to the sender.

Act as if Repeating Back is Necessary – If as listeners we convince ourselves in advance that we might at some time be called upon to repeat back what has been said to us, we are more likely to pay attention. We pretend we will have to give back to the sender; behave as if we are a student listening to a teacher just before an examination, a soldier listening to an officer just before an important battle, an employee listening to instructions from a manager. Listening as if repeating back is necessary will increase our concentration and hence our listening ability.

Repeat Back in Different Words – As listeners there are times during a conversation when we are not quite certain we understand what has been said. An extremely powerful listening technique involves repeating back to the sender, in different language, what we thought we heard. It is important to use language that is different from that originally used by the sender; after all, the sender’s way of saying it was possibly confusing in the first place.

It is also important that we rephrase the idea objectively. It should not be slanted or exaggerated towards the listener’s bias or show judgment in any way.

After repeating back what we thought we heard, the sender may confirm that the message was accurately received. On the other hand, the sender may find it necessary to restate the intended message. Either way, our “repeating back” strategy has forced clarification of the message. Both participants are now clear that what was sent has been accurately understood and the conversation can proceed from there.

As with any powerful interpersonal tool or device, the “repeating back” approach if overused will lose its effectiveness. This technique should be used selectively to clarify points of possible confusion during interpersonal communication.

Request Clarification – An effective active listening approach involves requesting clarification. The listener can simply say, “I don’t understand,” or “Would you mind going over that again?” This technique can be used more often than “repeating back.” Unfortunately, we as listeners are somewhat reluctant to admit we haven’t understood what was said. Perhaps our egos get in the way, or we are afraid we will appear to be stupid. And sometimes the sender uses fancy language and long words to appear superior. It takes self control and commitment for a listener to admit lack of understanding under these circumstances.

Clarification should be requested as often as necessary during a conversation, regardless of our fears or the superior attitude of the sender. The alternative is poor communication which is far worse than appearing ignorant.

Reflect Emotional Part of Message – Another active listening technique is reflecting emotion. Messages from a sender have two parts, the content and the feeling. If an employee says angrily, “My paycheck is short again,” the content is information about the paycheck; whereas the feeling (anger in this case) is communicated by tone of voice, gesture, facial expression and other aspects of the message. Only the content is being dealt with if his/her manager responds with, “I’ll look into it.” But the manager can demonstrate that he/she has heard the feeling part of the message by responding, “Gee, you sound pretty angry about it.” This response “reflects” the feeling back to the sender, letting the sender know that the message behind the message has been understood. In this example, the “I’ll look into it,” should still be added shortly.

On those rare occasions when reflecting feeling is a good idea, one advantage is that the sender feels genuinely understood if the reflected feeling is accurate. It is important, however, for the listener to understand the total message, content, and feeling. Another advantage of reflecting the feeling of a message is that the sender can correct an inaccurate impression. The employee in the example might respond to the manager, “No, I’m not really angry, just frustrated.” The manager now has a better understanding of the total message. He/she does not have to assume how the employee feels.

Perhaps the primary value of this technique is that content and feelings can be discussed separately. Sometimes people become so emotional they cannot carry on a rational discussion of the content of their message. Reflecting feelings enables a person to talk first about how he/she feels, which tends to have a calming effect on himself/herself. once the feelings are dealt with, he/she is more capable of a calm, rational discussion of the content.

The person who over uses this technique runs the risk of being seen as phony, playing “shrink,” or just plain nosey. Reflecting feeling should be used sparingly. But the spirit, the attitude that the listener is totally involved, is always important.

Summary

Listening is a skill, and like most skills it can be improved with understanding and practice. Listening is a particularly important skill for anyone who deals with people, as it is necessary in order to understand their problems, their feelings and attitudes, and their ideas. The person who listens poorly creates problems for himself/herself and others due to misinformation and lack of understanding. The person who listens well, on the other hand, will solve problems more effectively and will have a better relationship with others.

Barriers to effective listening emerge not only from the environment, but from the speaker; and even more important, from the listener himself/herself.

Overcoming barriers to effective listening involves making a commitment to improve listening, taking responsibility for the communication process, recognizing that listening is hard work, and being aware of the listening barriers. Specific suggestions for improved listening include controlling time and place, becoming a good sending model, becoming a “reactive” listener, taking notes only when appropriate, catching oneself when attention drifts and listening alertly.

Undoubtedly the most significant technique to be used by the good listener is active listening. This requires total involvement; remembering what is said, understanding what is said and reflecting to the speaker that both the content and the feeling of the message have been communicated.

Dr. Merwyn A. Hayes is President of The Hayes Group International, Inc. in Winston-Salem, NC. The Hayes Group is a recognized leader in helping organizations improve organizational effectiveness. They offer customized training, consulting and personnel assessment tools to help build effectiveness for the client’s people and their teamwork.

Learn about people, organizations, and change from an excerpt of “Start With Humility” by Mike Comer and Merwyn Hayes.

Read the Full Chapter (pdf)

This is Part II of a two-part article dealing with managing and implementing change. Part I examined methods of leading personal change among employees. Part II examines change within organizations.

As was examined in Part 1 of this series, change affects employees on a personal level and effective leaders realize and proactively plan for these impacts. However, effective leaders also realize the impact of change at the macro or organizational level.

In addressing organizational change, Chuck Swindoll noted, ” Organizations tend to lose vitality rather than gain it as time passes. They also tend to give greater attention to what they ‘were’ rather than what they are ‘becoming’. It is easier to look back into the past and smile on yesterday’s accomplishments than it is to look ahead into the future and think about tomorrow’s possibilities.” i

If you examine the top 100 businesses at the beginning of the 20th Century, only 15 of them made it to the 21st Century. Even in the last twenty-five years, two-thirds of the Fortune 50 have fallen off the list in just 25 years. ii

With the fast-moving and demanding environment that organizations face, mastering and accelerating rapid change is becoming increasingly more complex and important. Whether mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, new management team, or new technologies, organizations and leaders who challenge and direct change will be the survivors of the 21st Century.

How well does your organization handle change? As a leader you should be able to grade yourself and your team on the following Change Essentials: iii

Leadership Readiness: Do you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right positions to meet the demand of change?
Vision Clarity: Is there a clear vision and mission at the right level of detail? Have core competencies, goals and objectives been developed at the right level of detail?
Assessment Accuracy: Has there be a proactive assessment of how the change will affect Change Impact Areas such as organizational culture, organizational structure, job roles/responsibilities, skill/knowledge requirements, worker motivation/incentives, communications, operating policies/procedures, processes, employees?
Change Marketing: Have the benefits of the change been identified? Has the need for the change been communicated before the solution? Is it at the right level of detail for all stakeholders to understand?
Stakeholder Participation: Have the stakeholders – both formal and informal influencers – been identified? Has there been the right level of involvement by the right level of personnel participated in the decision-making? Do people “perceive” they have been consulted?
Communication Planning: Is there a formal communication plan? Is accurate information being passed through the organization? Is two-way communication available and encouraged?
Training Assessment: In a new environment what new skills are needed? Is there a formal way to assess new areas for training/education?
Change Integration: Are you coordinating multiple activities across departments, groups, regions and countries? Is there a deployment plan that overlaps activities, milestones, and dates? Is someone actively serving in an integration role?
Transition Timing: Is there an implementation plan that says what will change now and what will change over time? How ready is the organization for change? Does the culture invite change and work well within it?

Think of a major change that your organization is facing or has recently completed. It could be restructuring, downsizing, new product implementation or a new technology. If you were to give a letter grade (A-F) to your organization on these change essentials how would your organization do? How well would you do?

A few years ago a printing/publishing client was facing major change in their industry. The Chicago-based company included two major divisions – one published small suburban newspapers- the other division was a commercial printing operation. With the spread of around-the-clock television news and yuppies in neighborhoods getting news from the internet, the industry faced a major trial. In order to address their future mission they used the Nine Change Essentials as a guideline for a meeting with their executive committee and the board of directors. When addressing the visioning and leadership elements, the board chairman realized that the president of the newspaper publishing division had plans to buy other newspapers and take on the media competition head-on. The president of the commercial printing division had plans to sell the publishing division and already had some bids! Both division presidents sat in offices adjacent to each other – but neither knew about the others future plans (nor did the board). Needless to say by addressing the vision/mission element first, each meeting participant was able to use the other elements to move the organization into new directions. The facilitation using the Nine Change Essentials was instrumental in redirecting the corporation into several major new initiatives.

I have used these nine principles in management meetings for multiple clients – from a merger of a large Fortune 50 company to smaller entrepreneurships. Usually these elements are used in a group session with each participant giving the elements a letter grade. As each element is discussed an action plan is developed to proactively address the top change essentials. Each time a leader/manager examines these concepts it forces them to realize the impact of change and to identify interventions to address the change.

As a leader what grade would you or your organization receive on the Nine Change Essentials?

Michael Comer is a consulting partner at The Hayes Group International in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

i Maxwell, John (1997) Developing the Leader Within You
ii Source: “The 21st Century Corporation: Thriving with Change” – World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, 26 January 2001
iii Model developed in conjunction with Robert Hunter PhD, the author, and Arthur Andersen colleagues (1989).

This is Part I of a two-part article dealing with managing and implementing change. Part I examines methods of leading personal change among employees. Part II examines change within organizations.

“People don’t mind change they do mind being changed.” As leaders it becomes our responsibility to assist people in moving beyond their comfort zone into a level of acceptance of change. Professional counselors are trained to assist people in overcoming dramatic change in their personal lives. But often as managers, we too deal directly with assisting in personal change acceptance. Also it is often necessary to help employees to adjust to changes in methods of operations, changes in processes or implementation of new technologies.

Over 400 years ago Machiavelli observed: ” It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only luke-warm defenders in all those who profit by the new order. This luke-warmness arises partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favor, and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had an actual experience of it”.

To assist people in accepting change, a concept called the “Change Acceptance Curve” can be applied. Basically the change acceptance curve states there are five steps individuals initiate when encountering change: awareness, self-concern, mental tryout, hands-on trail, and acceptance.

As a person finds out about a particular change (awareness), in most cases they respond by asking how the change will affect them (self-concern). Sadly, in many organizations people resist change because they fear it will affect their influence or power-base within the organization. If a person can move beyond the self-concern stage, they will find themselves thinking through the alternatives of how they will deal with the change and what alternatives are available (mental tryout). Usually a rational person will move to actually implementing or trying-out some of the changes (hands-on trial). This may eventually move to the acceptance of the change.

Several years ago I worked with a large government agency in implementing a major administrative computer system. The system’s changes would affect processes, job design, skills and even the corporate culture. Basically the system would allow direct ordering of supplies from a central warehouse and would allow documents to be shared electronically. This system would drastically change some clerical jobs including the job of Alice, a file clerk, who was very social and generally took time to chat with all the employees who would drop by the file room to pick up documents. Alice would need to be retrained for a data entry position. Little did we realize that the data entry position would drastically alter what she enjoyed most about her job – the social interaction. Neither did we realize the effect she had as an “informal” leader of the organization. After spending ten months planning, thousands of dollars on training, and hours of detailed implementation, the system failed – primarily because of one file clerk. While multiple consultants, high-level managers, and IT experts were implementing a state-of-the art technology, she was busy convincing future users the system would never work as they visited her file room to pick up daily documents. The project was scrapped and the manual document filing was continued. The cancellation of the project even made the front page of the Wall Street Journal. The lesson learned: The power of change and its impact on corporate culture and personal identity has a tremendous impact on bottom-line results.

As people move through the change acceptance curve there are some specific strategies that leaders can use to move people toward the acceptance of change.

It is imperative that people become aware of the change from the leadership perspective. This is why it is extremely important to constantly communicate during the awareness stage. It is much better for an employee to hear about a change from his or her direct manager than from another employee in the cafeteria. During the self-concern stage, it is often necessary to spend time counseling with those the changes will affect. This is not consoling in the traditional sense of the word, but time spent explaining the change individually with key leaders and influencers. Spending time in this stage can assure the success of the change. Likewise, not spending individual time with key leaders and influencers (like the file clerk) can result in the failure of the proposed change.

As one moves to mental tryout, the leader should demonstrate the new culture, behavior or idea by showing what the situation will be like after the change is implemented. As people begin to accept the change, it may be necessary to re-educate employees on certain aspects of a change. Many times leaders fail to realize that once a change seems to be accepted, it must be constantly supported with communication, demonstration, and counseling for the change to continue. Too many times leadership contends that a particular change has been accepted by employees, only to see it fail because of a lack of on-going support.

At any point in the change curve, people can fall into the “land of resistance”. True leadership realizes the mental model of the change acceptance curve and “baby-sits” the proposed change through and during the acceptance stage.

Leadership in the 21st Century demands proactive change implementation and seizing appropriate change opportunities. All good leader/managers know this and have heard it multiple times. What leaders sometimes forget is that people (both formal and informal leaders) can make or break a change initiative. Proper understanding and implementation of the Change Acceptance Curve can position your organization for success in a changing environment.

Michael Comer is a consulting partner at The Hayes Group International in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“Proud people working together to achieve clearly defined objectives” has been the theme of this series. The last two Management Line columns have focused on “proud people” and “working together.” This month the focus is on “clearly defined objectives.” Clearly defined objectives first calls for planning — identifying (1) where we’re going and (2) how we’re going to get there. In working with many organizations, I have observed that managers tend to react rather than act. They resent spending the upfront time needed for effective planning.

“Plan? Do I really have to? I just don’t have the time!” On the short side it seems easier to jump in, get going, and see immediate results. On the long haul, we effectively meet our goals only if we map out in advance the specific way to get there.

It’s much the same as taking a trip. If we jump into the car with no specific plan in mind, we may end up at the beach, or in the mountains, or we may stop to see a friend and never leave town. As a result, we may not have the proper clothes for the mountains, enough money for the beach, or we may never use all the camping equipment we purchased last year. Our children who had expected to go to the beach may be extremely disappointed and their behavior may reflect it.

The problems that can result from lack of planning are endless, whether the goal is an enjoyable vacation or a profitable business. Therefore, the successful manager avoids these problems by spending the necessary time up front determining where the organization is going and how it’s going to get there. We need to discipline ourselves into recognizing that the resulting payoffs are well worth our investment.

So planning is important. But how do we plan effectively?

First, we need to determine the organization’s overall goals. These goals might relate to customer satisfaction, a quality product, high volume, or rapid growth. Overall goals are set by top management and often reflect a variety of factors from the current market, the industry, or the product/service to the individual goals of the top management.

A critical factor to be considered when determining overall goals is input from the ranks. My observation in working with clients is that they frequently neglect to get information needed from within the organization to help determine their overall goals and objectives.

More often than not, top management hands down an objective such as “20 percent growth” or “35 percent of the market share” without checking below to find out (1) how it can be reached, (2) what problems must be overcome, and/or (3) what changes may have to be made in order to meet it.

The results of neglecting this step is invariably employee frustration and frequently unmet objectives. On the other hand, listening to employees results in realistic goals and objectives. It also results in a team spirit and a commitment to meeting the organization’s goals.

Once the organization’s overall goals are determined, those goals should be the framework within which the specific objectives for each department and each employee are set. Each employee’s objectives should be formulated to help the department meet its objectives. And the departmental objectives should be designed to help the organization meet its goals. If the employees and the department have had input into organization’s goals, the results will be proud people working together to meet mutual objectives.

But we haven’t yet discussed “clearly defined” objectives. First, a clearly defined objective should be specific. In other words, “95 percent accuracy” rather than “accurate,” and willingness to take on additional responsibilities” rather than “attitude.”

Second, objectives should be challenging. My observation is that our general tendency is to set goals that are not challenging enough. They encourage mediocrity, or little more than “showing up on time.” Every person in the organization needs to stretch, grow and develop. This is best accomplished by proud people meeting challenging objectives.

On the other hand, objectives should also be attainable. Nothing is more self-perpetuating than lack of success. Of course, the question is, “Can we have both? Can objectives be challenging and attainable?” And the answer is a resounding, “Yes!”

Lastly, objectives should be compatible— fitting in with the objectives of other employees and other departments who are all working toward meeting the same organization goals.

For example, Organization has a goal of 95 percent customer satisfaction; Sales indicates that Service will respond to customers within four hours of notification;

Service’s goal is to respond to customers within eight working hours of notification. Result: dissatisfied customers. Why? Incompatible objectives.

An organization won’t get where it wants to be unless it knows where it is going and how to get there. To do that requires planning. The successful manager takes the time necessary to determine the organization’s overall goal and the specific objectives that need to be met on the way. In doing that the successful manager stops. Looks and listens to others throughout the organization in order to get their input. The result is proud people working together to achieve clearly defined objectives.