the
innovative LEDGER
An e-Newsletter from The Innovative Edge™ Inc.
Vol.
8, No. 10 - October 2008
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Listening for Innovation, Part 2
By Jeff Govendo
Last
month, inspired by an article I had read about an interview with Nelson
Mandela, I wrote about the power of effective listening as a key communication
and leadership tool.
I
noted also that good listening is an essential part of the innovation
process; that the most innovative organizations are characterized
by a culture in which people listen open-mindedly to their fellow
employees and customers, with an ear toward building on each other’s
ideas.
So,
this article is about listening to improve your organization’s
innovation potential. As such, the list below is not really about
how to listen. It’s more about your mind set while listening.
If your goal is to promote a more innovative culture, what kinds of
listening should you be engaged in? Here are 6 ideas:
1.
Listen for new knowledge. Oddly enough, many of us tend to listen
more closely for information we already have; that sounds familiar.
Or, that which confirms what we already believe. Sometimes we listen
only to those we have decided we can learn something new from. While
you may be one of the smartest in the group, somebody out there knows
something you don’t, whether it’s the CEO or an hourly administrative
assistant. So, the advice here is to listen with the expectation
that new knowledge can come from anyone. Another way of saying
this might be “Listen with curiosity.”
2.
Listen to understand and appreciate other viewpoints. This is
not simply about establishing yourself as someone who is polite, open-minded
and pleasant to deal with (although these might be reason enough).
Rather, it’s about utilizing diverse inputs as ingredients for
the process of innovating. Innovation thrives on a wide range
of ideas, perspectives and world views, and conversely stagnates in
the face of sameness. While you may not agree with someone else’s
point of view, it may still offer valuable insights and clues for
creative ideas.
3.
Listen for efficiency. For many in the workplace, meetings are
the bane of their existence. Few complaints come up more frequently
on surveys than "We have too many meetings," or "Our
meetings are way too long." Innovation rarely occurs at meetings
people hate being at. One of the biggest reasons for this is the
absence of effective listening. When poor listening takes place, people
feel compelled to repeat their points. Agenda items have to be brought
up again. Mistakes are made; misinterpretations occur. Simply put,
poor listening is just an inefficient practice.
4.
Listen to value others. Whether it’s your reports, your peers,
your customers… there is no better way to demonstrate their worth
to the organization than actively listening to what they have to say.
It engages them, and they contribute more. In turn, they keep
offering ideas based on their knowledge and unique perspectives (see
#2). And it’s this lively, continuous mix of ideas that characterizes
the most innovative organizations.
5.
Listen to encourage. Some people are quiet by nature. Or they
don’t necessarily articulate their points well. Perhaps they
fear some consequence of stating their views openly. Yet, they may
be sitting on ideas that are precisely what’s needed to solve
a problem. More than any prompting or words of encouragement, your
willingness to listen mindfully and to demonstrate it, will draw them
out. There may be treasures in your organization few know about.
They need to be listened to.
6.
Listen to connect. Many times I’ve written in this newsletter
about the role of connecting ideas in the creative process. The
human mind is uniquely designed to make connections between what we
hear from others and the challenges we face. In the utterances
of our colleagues lies a trove of clues on how to tackle our toughest
challenges, or create new opportunities. Always listen with a mind
toward making these connections.
Listening
is one of the greatest tools we have for increasing the value of our
interactions with others. Improving it doesn’t cost a thing in
money or time; in fact, it helps us save time. Try some of
the suggestions I’ve listed, and you will see a difference. And...
let me know how it works out.
I’m
waiting to hear from you.
