A concept from the reading this week that I really enjoyed reading was the section on page 114 about “Listening as a critical leadership skill”. I was fascinated by this topic because it is something that I believe almost everyone can relate to. In my case, I found this relevant in my work life. I think a lot of times, people have trouble respecting others because of the fact that they believe they are not being heard. I know that throughout my career, I've had plenty of experiences where employees including myself, have not felt a lot of respect or security towards the supervisors and/or managers. One quote that I really stood out to me in the chapter stated, “seek first to understand, then to be understood”(page 114). This is something I believe everyone, not just leaders, should consider when working with others. I think it is incredibly annoying when people have ideas or opinions that they want to share with everyone, but when it comes down to listening to other people, they find a way to ignore it and continue talking about their own opinions. A lot of times it seems as if people just want to shove information down other people's throats without considering anyone else's perspectives. Just as the book mentions, one cannot succeed until they fully understand the other side. Another example that can be tied to the listening concept is when people cut others off while they're speaking. This is one of my pet peeves, yet almost every single person I speak to has done this to me in the past. If there's one thing I learned from being a communication major, it is to always let the person you're speaking to finish what they are saying. I believe that is people practice this habit, they will become much more effective listeners which will lead to great leaders.
Hi Jprado,
ReplyDeleteYes, it seems as though people are more focused on speaking their message rather than focusing on WHO they are communicating with. I think it's important to research and understand the receiver in order to send the message effectively. There are different dynamics to how a message is sent and received. I think culture has a lot to do with it also. If we are not aware of the cultural norms of the people we are trying to reach, there may be a lack of reception. As senders of a message, people can get caught-up in getting their words out rather than first determining how the receiver will respond. Great post :)
Hey jprado, I thought your concept for this week was one that was really informative and interesting. Listening as a critical leadership skill is something that I too am extremely fascinated with in terms of becoming a better leader. It was great that you were able to relate this back into your work life and were able to give informative examples. The quote that you gave was perfect in terms of your examples, and that is something that I felt was essential in this chapter. I also agreed with your end idea that practicing this habit will result in positive outcomes for everyone involved.
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