Genuine Listening
Genuine Listening Leadership Bite...
Listening is the key to building trust and strong relationships. Without true listening, it is difficult—if not downright impossible—to create strong, healthy relationships and teams.
Today, listen to others. REALLY listen. Listen to your employees, boss, colleagues, spouse or partner, friends, and neighbors. Listen without judging, without formulating a response while the other person is speaking, and allow the speaker to finish fully before responding.
Do this for one week and see how it feels. Did you notice any difference in you? In your relationships? In your team’s performance or results?
Resources:
Watch this powerful 5-minute video by Simon Sinek, “The Art of Listening”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpnNsSyDw-g&list=PLXYtotwk0QkzCQj5g4IrtFYNTPrBzsYsG&index=48
Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash.
Know Your Values
Know Your Values Leadership Bite...
Know your values, those characteristics that are most important to you. Doing so enables you to consciously focus on when you are in alignment with your true self and when you are not. This is especially important for leaders because studies have found that those who are aligned with their true self have a strong sense of purpose and integrity and inspire loyalty amongst their team. When you know yourself and have the confidence to be yourself, you inspire others to do the same, resulting in an authentic, happy, and productive team.
A simple values-based activity is to create a list of the 3-5 values that are most important to you and the 3-5 values you want to develop further. Knowing what is important to you now brings awareness and enables you to identify when you act out of alignment with your true self. Knowing the values you wish to develop allows you to lean into them and move toward them with intention, offering a fun and easy self-development process. As a bonus, try using this values-based activity as a team-building exercise so all team members can benefit!
Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash.
Use Vision Boards
Create a Vision Board Leadership Bite...
Create a vision board at home or in the workplace. Yes... in the workplace! And while you’re at it, turn the process into a team-building activity. I’ve had many teams create vision boards – it’s fun and makes for great conversations, and having a vision board in each team member’s office or cubicle is an effective way of focusing on workplace goals and a common vision.
Creating a vision board is easy. First, write down your most important desires and goals across all areas of your life. Next, find pictures or words that represent your desires. You can print or cut these visuals out and affix them to a board using construction paper, cardboard, or poster board, or compile your visuals digitally. If you create a digital vision board, you have the benefit of viewing it on your phone or laptop, and you can also print it and post it in your workspace.
How does the vision board process work? When you visualize what you want daily, you activate your subconscious mind’s creative powers through the RAS (Reticular Activating System.)
When you clearly and intently visualize your goals and imagine what it would feel like if they had already been achieved (which tends to happen when you look at your vision board images), this creates a conflict or structural tension in your subconscious mind between what you are visualizing and what you currently have. Your RAS works to resolve that conflict by turning your current reality into the new, more exciting vision you’ve put forth. The Law of Attraction comes into play as well because where your attention goes, energy flows.
And... then the magic begins. Previously unnoticed resources begin to appear, and you start to attract the people, resources, and opportunities you need to achieve your goals.
Tips:
· If you’re creating a vision board in the workplace, consider using quadrants or sections. Use one quadrant (or space) for professional goals and the other three for personal desires.
· For more information about the Law of Attraction, see the Leadership: Success Principles section of this website.
Photo by Jovan Vasiljevic on Unsplash.
Create a Safe Space
Create a Safe Space Leadership Bite...
An important role of a leader is creating safe spaces for team members, including your day-to-day work environment, training rooms, break rooms, etc. Safe spaces allow people to be their authentic selves and provide an environment where team members feel comfortable being vulnerable, open, and honest.
How to Create a Safe Space:
· Regularly ask for ideas, input, and feedback from all team members.
· Actively listen and follow up.
· Ensure each person’s ideas are heard and valued, even if you disagree.
· Host a Heart Talk – This is especially effective when emotions are high (after a merger, layoff, personal tragedy, etc.) For a ‘How-To’, read the next Leadership Bite.
“A boat doesn’t go forward if each one is rowing their own way.”—Proverb
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash.
Have a Heart Talk
Have a Heart Talk Leadership Bite...
A Heart Talk is a structured communication process that facilitates deep listening in a safe and non-judgmental manner. Heart talks are beneficial before or after a significant change or an emotional event, when there is conflict between individuals or departments, and to strengthen personal and professional relationships in general.
Heart Talk Process:
· Limit participation to 2 – 8 people.
· Sit in a circle or around a table.
· Give one individual an object (a heart, talking stick, paperweight, etc.)
· Only the individual holding the “heart” may speak.
· Participants may only talk about how they feel.
· Allow people to “pass” at any time as the heart is passed around the circle.
· Don’t judge, comment, or criticize what other participants say.
· All information shared in the circle stays in the circle to maintain confidentiality.
· Keep passing the heart around the circle until nobody has anything more to say or until time runs out.
Tips:
· Obtain participant concurrence to the guidelines before you begin.
· You can set a time limit to ensure each participant feels like they have the opportunity to share. For example, after 5 minutes, pass the heart to the next person. Regardless, keep going until everyone has fully expressed their feelings.
“Most communication resembles a Ping-Pong game in which people are merely preparing to slam their next point across; but pausing to understand differing points of view and associated feelings can turn apparent opponents into true members of the same team.”—Cliff Durfee, creator of the Heart Talk process
Photo by Miriam Gustof on Unsplash.