|
A good customer had just departed over service issues and Mary, the office manager, had just resigned. “Why didn’t Mary tell me she was unhappy?” asked John, the owner of an electrical contracting business. “She did, several times, but you just didn’t listen,” replied Mark, John’s operational manager. Mark added, “John, we have worked together many years and as a friend and colleague, I need to tell you this: you don’t want to listen to anything negative.” John squirmed. Mark went on, “And about the big customer who just departed, I told you three times that he was unhappy with the speed of our work, but you refused to let me to put more people on the project to get the job done on time. I explained to you that the customer was becoming increasingly discontented, but you ignored me.” John jumped in, “What! I never heard you say that.” “That is precisely my point,” responded Mark, as he walked away. This is an all too common situation, but it shouldn’t be. The Lord said, “And be sure to pay attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:24 NLT). One of the most important aspects of our leadership is developing and demonstrating good listening skills, especially when we are challenged by the negative message. Most of us misjudge how well we encourage others to express concerns. Often, we send signals that we don’t want to hear bad news. If you become angry and defensive when told the facts, colleagues will just stop relating if they believe any response is going to be angry. If you appear indifferent, don’t pay attention, or act impatient, you are sending the clear message that you don’t want to hear the facts. If you don’t have the time to listen right then, and then fail to meet to discuss the problem, again you are saying that you don’t want to hear anything negative.
King Solomon observed, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2 NLT). The goal is NOT to immediately establish that you are right. Rather, the goal needs to be to achieve understanding of what is said and determine if some action is required. How do you do this? By developing the habit of asking qualifying questions. Rephrase what was said to confirm you understood what was said. When general statements are made, ask for examples. When Mark shared earlier that a customer was unhappy because work was slow, rather than shrugging off the concern, John should have asked for specific examples and also asked, “Exactly what did the customer say?” John would then have developed more knowledge and understanding with the service issues. Also, asking, “Why do you think that?” or “Can you clarify that thought?” will encourage people to share the details you need. Solomon wrote, “Through good advice lies deep within a person’s heart, the wise will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5 NLT). A colleague once told me, “We need to use larger envelopes when mailing thicker invoices as some thicker bills were overstuffing the envelopes. At first, I thought this was a pretty minor concern. Petty, to be sure! But I asked, “Why do you see this as a problem?” He explained, “The Post Office returned over 20 of our bills that were found loose in the mail, and in addition, five of our customers have called saying that they received loose documents in the mail.” Clearly, the overstuffed envelopes were bursting open. This “petty” concern was costing us money and could potentially hurt our customer relationships. The additional information showed me that we needed to fix the problem right away. Another clarifying question worth asking is, “How would that work?”This gives the person an opportunity to explain a concept in more detail. Many times a colleague has shared an idea that just didn’t click in my mind. By asking how the idea could work, I have been able to see the concept in a new light and understand new outstanding ideas. When you hear “bad” news, genuinely listen, then determine if the information is correct or not. Then you can take necessary action and keep the door of communication open that will help your business. Paul asked, “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Galatians 4:16 NLT). Don’t create animosity. Instead, be open to receive the truth from others. |
