The Pear Corporation currently sells consumer-based PCs/laptops and software services but will be switching in December 2024 to only providing softw

Exam *INSERT name and section on page header* Maximum 6 pages, font size 10, single-space NO APA References Other book references not accepted References/connections must be made to only from the 3 course textbooks and class notes.

The Pear Corporation currently sells consumer-based PCs/laptops and software services but will be switching in December 2024 to only providing software services. This is a significant development as it means a different direction and vision for the company, impacting staff and morale.

As a member of the public relations department, you are to develop a communications strategy for this project (complete turnaround from old to new form of company to be in two years), advising management on what to say to the company in essay, paragraph form with headings.

Be sure to address the following:

Primary audiences (those impacted by the change)

Objective

Message

Medium (best way to deliver message)

Communicator (best person to deliver message)

Timing

Contents

Listening and Leadership

The Active Listening Skill Set Pay Attention Hold Judgment Reflect Clarify Summarize Share

Barriers to Active Listening The Image of Leadership Silence as Agreement External Pressures Lack of Know-how Individual Makeup Time and Place Emotion Cultural Differences

How to Improve Your Listening Skills

Leading with Active Listening

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Suggested Readings

Background

Key Point Summary

Lead Contributor

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Ideas Into Action Guidebooks

Aimed at managers and executives who are concerned with their own and others’ development, each guidebook in this series gives

specific advice on how to complete a developmental task or solve a leadership problem.

LEAD CONTRIBUTOR Michael H. Hoppe

CONTRIBUTORS

Wilfred Drath Chris Ernst Cynthia D. McCauley Lisa Moye

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Martin Wilcox EDITOR Peter Scisco

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Karen Mayworth WRITER Rebecca Garau

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Joanne Ferguson

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Laura J. Gibson Chris Wilson, 29 & Company

Copyright ©2006 Center for Creative Leadership.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without

the prior written permission of the publisher.

CCL No. 430 ISBN-13: 978-1-882197-94-1

ISBN-10: 1-882197-94-1

Center for Creative Leadership Post Office Box 26300

Greensboro, North Carolina 27438-6300 336-288-7210

www.ccl.org/publications pfeiffer.com/go/cclguidebooks

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The Ideas Into Action Guidebook Series This series of guidebooks draws on the practical knowledge that the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) has generated, since its inception in 1970, through its research and educational activity conducted in partnership with hundreds of thousands of managers and executives. Much of this knowledge is shared—in a way that is distinct from the typical university department, professional association, or consultancy. CCL is not simply a collection of individual experts, although the individual credentials of its staff are impressive; rather it is a community, with its members holding certain principles in common and working together to understand and generate practical responses to today’s leadership and organizational challenges. The purpose of the series is to provide managers with specific advice on how to complete a developmental task or solve a leadership challenge. In doing that, the series carries out CCL’s mission to advance the understanding, practice, and development of leadership for the benefit of society worldwide. We think you will find the Ideas Into Action Guidebooks an important addition to your leadership toolkit.

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Executive Brief Active listening is a person’s willingness and ability to hear and understand. At its

core, active listening is a state of mind that involves paying full and careful attention to the other person, avoiding premature judgment, reflecting understanding, clarifying information, summarizing, and sharing. By learning and committing to the skills and behaviors of active listening, leaders can become more effective listeners and, over time, improve their ability to lead.

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Listening and Leadership

Jim is a smart, successful leader and a likeable coworker. Six months ago, he took on a job with greater responsibility in a new division. To his surprise, he’s having difficulty leading his new group. He is unable to pinpoint the reason for the friction between himself and several of his direct reports, and he’s frustrated that his new group hasn’t jelled. He calls one of his direct reports in to address the issue. Here’s how it goes: Jim: Mary, we need to talk. There’s obviously some friction between us, and it’s having a bad effect on the whole group. What’s the problem? Mary (caught off guard and not knowing where to start): Well, I would say that one problem is that we don’t have enough flexibility— (Jim’s cell phone rings; he answers it and swivels his chair, looking out the window while he talks.) Jim (ending the call and turning back to Mary): Okay, you were saying…? Mary: …that we don’t have enough flexibility— Jim: Not enough flexibility? No, that’s not it. We have that floating holiday, and you can take your lunch hour anytime between 12:00 and 1:30. How much more flexibility do you want? Mary: It’s just that it would help a lot if I could take a shorter lunch and leave a few minutes earlier in the afternoon. If I don’t get to my son’s daycare by 6:00, they charge me a dollar a minute— Jim: Now, Mary, you know you can’t expect special favors just because you have a child. That wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. Mary (voice trembling, but trying to maintain composure): I see… Jim (standing abruptly and motioning Mary toward the door): Yes! Well! Thank you! I’m glad we had this talk! And remember that my door is always open. Thanks! Fortunately, most real leaders do better than Jim. But like him, many take for granted their ability to listen to others. They are often surprised

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to find out that their peers, direct reports, or bosses think they don’t listen well and are impatient, judgmental, arrogant, or unaware. Assessments of thousands of leaders in CCL’s database indicate that many leaders have development needs that directly relate to their listening skills:

dealing with people’s feelings accepting criticism well

trying to understand what other people think before making judgments about them encouraging direct reports to share using feedback to make necessary changes in their behavior being open to the input of others putting themselves in another person’s shoes and imagining that person’s point of view

Impact of Poor Listening

The impact of not listening well is far-reaching. Colleagues, direct reports, and others often describe poor listeners in these ways:

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The ability to listen effectively is an essential component of

leadership, and most leaders know they need to be good listeners to be effective. Although they may have the best intentions, they don’t know specifically what to do or to avoid doing to become better listeners. By learning the skills and behaviors of active listening, you can become a more effective listener and leader. You can use active listening with direct reports, peers, customers, bosses, stakeholders, and others to

hear accurately understand draw out ideas and information empathize gather information show respect build self-esteem find answers show appreciation

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buy time connect question assumptions and ideas weigh options change perspectives soothe or heal set the stage for something else build relationships

To begin, assess your listening skills with the worksheet on the following pages.

Assess Your Listening Skills Do you have a listening problem? To assess how well you listen to others, rate

yourself on the following behaviors. Use a fivepoint scale:

When I listen to others: 1. ___ I sit behind my desk, accept phone calls, shuffle papers, or otherwise

communicate by my activities or gestures that I am not fully attentive. 2. ___ I have a hard time concentrating on what is being said. 3. ___ I am annoyed when someone slows me down. 4. ___ I think about what I want to say next rather than about what the other

person is saying. 5. ___ I don’t like it when someone questions my ideas or actions. 6. ___ I interrupt or show signs of impatience as I wait for the other person to finish

talking. 7. ___ I give advice too soon; I suggest courses of action or solutions to problems

before the other person has fully explained his or her perspective. 8. ___ I tell people not to feel the way they do. 9. ___ I sense that people seem upset after talking to me. 10. ___ I tend to talk significantly more than the other person talks. 11. ___ I make it a point to fill any silences.

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12. ___ I am uncomfortable or at a loss when the other person expresses emotions. 13. ___ I have a hard time understanding what people are trying to say. 14. ___ I avoid asking any questions that would encourage the other person to talk

more. 15. ___ I ask questions for which I already have the answers. 16. ___ I expect yes or no answers. 17. ___ I frequently lose track of where the conversation is going. 18. ___ I have a hard time remembering what has been said when a conversation is

over. 19. ___ I frequently discover that things the other person and I have agreed upon

during a conversation don’t get done. 20. ___ I avoid having things repeated, by the other person or myself. 21. ___ I keep my thoughts to myself. 22. ___ I keep my feelings to myself. 23. ___ I avoid sharing personal experiences. 24. ___ I try hard not to let the other person know how his or her behavior during

the conversation affects me. We’ll revisit this assessment further along in this guidebook.

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The Active Listening Skill Set

Active listening is a person’s willingness and ability to hear and understand. Many of us intuitively know what active listening looks, sounds, and feels like. However, we may not know what to do to be successful at it. By learning the skills and behaviors of active listening, leaders can become more effective listeners and, over time, improve their ability to lead. It is useful to think of active listening as an exchange between people. On one level, the quality of a conversation can be improved when one person is engaged in active listening. Leaders who practice active listening are able to draw out more information and more meaningful information during a conversation. At its most engaging and effective, active listening is the norm for conversation and everyone involved is a full participant. It involves bringing about and finding common ground, connecting to each other, and opening up to new possibilities. Active listening involves six skills: paying attention, holding judgment, reflecting, clarifying, summarizing, and sharing. Each skill contributes to the active listening mind-set, and each skill includes various techniques or behaviors. These skills are not mutually exclusive. For example, paying attention isn’t something you stop doing when you start holding judgment. Nor are the skills consistently weighted in importance. In one conversation, clarifying may take much effort and time; in another conversation, gaining clarity and understanding may be quick and easy.

Pay Attention A primary goal of active listening is to set a comfortable tone and allow time and opportunity for the other person to think and speak. By paying attention to your behavior and that of the other person, you create the setting for productive dialogue. Pay attention to the following:

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Your frame of mind. Cultivate an active listening mind-set. Get in the frame of mind of a listener and learner. Be present, focused on the moment. Remember that your intention is to connect to and understand— not interrogate—the other person. Operate from a place of respect, letting yourself empathize with the other person. Be comfortable being silent. Remember that you’ll need to accurately summarize the other person’s ideas, concerns, and feelings at the end of the discussion, so prepare to do so. Your body language. Maintain comfortable eye contact. Show interest. Lean forward. Maintain open body position and posture. Give nonverbal affirmations. Nod to show that you understand. Smile, when appropriate to content. Indicate understanding and keep the other person talking. The other person. Observing and hearing effectively require careful attention. Pay close attention to the other person’s nonverbal and verbal behavior in order to pick up on the important information that it offers, and then to make sense of it. There are often cues that convey the type of emotion that underlies the perspective the other person is expressing,

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and also the level of that emotion. Look for and pay attention to the tone of voice, intensity, loudness, facial expressions, and physical posture. Watch for shifts in body, language, and voice. By focusing on the other person and being present in the moment, you convey that your primary purpose is to understand his or her point of view.

Hold Judgment Active listening requires an open mind. As a listener and a leader, you need to be open to new ideas, new perspectives, and new possibilities. Even when good listeners have strong views, they suspend judgment, hold their criticism, and avoid arguing or selling their point of view right away. Tell yourself, “I’m here to understand how the other person sees the world. It is not time to judge or give my view.” Holding judgment is particularly important when tensions run high. Let the other side vent or blow off steam if needed. Don’t jump immediately to problem solving or offering advice. Again, be comfortable not talking. Your main job is to listen and pay attention. This does not mean that you agree; it shows that you are trying to understand. Practice empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, to temporarily live in that person’s world without making any judgments about the situation. Demonstrating empathy is the behavior that expresses your willingness to understand the other person’s situation. For example, “I’d be excited too if I had such attractive options before me” or “It must be really hard to make this choice.” It conveys respect for the other person and his or her views and experiences. Indicate your open mind. Show your genuine intention to be open minded by saying something like “I’m coming from another perspective and I want to understand your view” or “My goal here is to understand, not to judge or make a decision.” Acknowledge difference. Each person brings a unique perspective to a situation. Experience, culture, personal background, and current circumstances all contribute to the way people react at work. Communicate that you’d like to understand things through the other

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person’s unique lens. Be patient. Slow your pace to allow the other person to talk and elaborate. Don’t speed the conversation along. Allow pauses; be comfortable with silence.

Reflect Like a mirror, reflect information and emotions without agreeing or disagreeing. Use paraphrasing—a brief, periodic recap of the other person’s key points—to confirm your understanding. Reflecting the other person’s information, perspective, and feelings is a way to indicate that you hear and understand. Don’t assume that you understand correctly or that the other person knows you’ve heard. The ability to reflect his or her content as well as feelings creates strong rapport and deepens the exploration. Paraphrase information. Demonstrate that you are tracking with the information presented by periodically restating the other’s basic ideas, emphasizing the facts. Responses such as “What I’m hearing is…” and “Let me make sure I understand what you’re saying…” allow you to identify any disconnects and signal to the other person that you are getting it. Paraphrase emotion. Identifying the feeling message that accompanies the content is equally important, but often more challenging. Yet reflecting the other person’s emotions is an effective way to get to the core of the issue. The feeling message may be contained in the words used, the tone of voice, the body language, or a combination of all these things. Using this technique shows the other person that you are paying close attention and that you are putting energy into understanding what he or she is communicating to you. It may also help others by providing clarity about feelings they are experiencing but not consciously aware of. Here are some examples of paraphrasing emotion:

You seem to have doubts about…

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It seems to me that you are feeling very happy about… Sounds as if you’re feeling pretty frustrated and stuck.

Clarify Double-check on any issue that is ambiguous or unclear. Open-ended, clarifying, and probing questions are important tools. Open-ended questions. These questions draw people out and encourage them to expand their ideas. They allow you to uncover hidden issues. They also encourage people to reflect, rather than justifying or defending a position, or trying to guess the “right answer.” Open-ended questions can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. For example:

What are your thoughts on…? What led you to draw this conclusion? What would happen next?

Clarifying questions. These questions help ensure understanding and clear up confusion. They define problems, uncover gaps in information, and encourage accuracy and precision. Any who, what, where, when, how, or why question can be a clarifying question, but those are not the only possibilities. For example:

Let me see if I’m clear. Are you talking about…? I must have missed something. Could you repeat that? I am not sure that I got what you were saying. Can you explain it again another way?

Probing questions. These questions introduce new ideas or suggestions. Often they highlight details and contain an element of challenge. By asking probing questions, you invite reflection and a thoughtful response instead of telling others what to do. This fosters ownership of decisions and outcomes, and serves to develop problem-

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solving capacity in others. For example:

More specifically, what are some of the things you’ve tried? How direct have you been with Marcus about the consequences for the sales force if the situation doesn’t change? What is it in your own leadership approach that might be contributing to Tonya’s failure to meet her deadlines?

Summarize This is a brief restatement of core themes raised by the other person as the conversation proceeds. Summarizing helps people see their key themes, and it confirms and solidifies your grasp of their points of view. Again, the summary does not necessarily imply agreement or disagreement by you, but merely allows you to close the loop. It may lead to additional questions as a transition to problem solving. It also helps both parties to be clear on mutual responsibilities and follow-up. Briefly summarize what you have understood as you listened: “It sounds as if your main concern is…” or “These seem to be the key points you have expressed….” In addition to—or instead of—doing the summarizing yourself, you may ask the other person to summarize: “What have you heard so far?” or “To make sure we’re on the same page, would you please summarize for both of us the key plans we’ve agreed upon today?”

Share Being an active listener doesn’t mean being a sponge, passively soaking up the information coming your way. You are an active party to the conversation with your own thoughts and feelings. Yet active listening is first about understanding the other person, then about being understood. That’s hard for anyone to learn and apply. It may be especially hard for people in leadership roles, who may have been led to believe that they

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need to be understood first so that others can follow them. As you gain a clearer understanding of the other person’s perspective, it’s time to introduce your ideas, feelings, and suggestions, and address any concerns. It’s time to share your view and to collaborate on solutions and next steps. For example:

Your telling me…triggered the thought that… I felt so happy when it became clear to me from what you said that I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. May I share something similar?

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Barriers to Active Listening

Most people would see some of the skills and behaviors associated with active listening as basic courtesy (not interrupting, for example). But other active listening skills (such as asking clarifying questions) are less familiar and therefore may require teaching and practice. Leaders who seek to improve their ability to actively listen may face a number of barriers.

The Image of Leadership The role of listening can seem to contradict common cultural notions of what a leader is. In a society that values leaders who are action oriented, charismatic, visionary, and directive, the expectation is that leaders should have the answers, call the shots, and do all the talking. Our emphasis on the performance of leaders cuts into their ability to be quiet and listen. Interestingly, leaders believe they listen just as much as they talk. But studies show they do 80 percent of the talking in their interactions with others.

Silence as Agreement Listening quietly can also be confused with agreement or acceptance of the other’s ideas and perspective. When leaders disagree or have additional ideas and information, they may be quick to debate or respond. Active listening allows different viewpoints to be aired and assessed. It does not require you to discount or hold back your own opinion or objections; however, it does require allowing sufficient time to learn, uncover assumptions, and seek clarity—all with an open mind.

External Pressures

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A volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous environment makes it tempting not to listen. The daily demands placed on leaders make it difficult to slow down, focus, inquire, and listen. At the same time, one of the critical skills for dealing with uncertain conditions is to actively solicit information and make sense of it. Communicating effectively— especially the ability to listen well—is a survival skill.

Lack of Know-how Listening is a neglected communication skill. Much of the emphasis on communication by leaders is about how to effectively “get your message out.” Less effort is made to ensure that leaders accurately receive the messages of others.

Individual Makeup An individual’s experience (whether accustomed to working collaboratively or independently, for example) and personality (such as action driven, impatient, talk oriented, or reserved) may also create barriers to effective active listening.

Time and Place Listening is particularly challenging when you aren’t in the same room with those with whom you are working. Telephone calls and video conferences are impersonal, nonverbal cues are missing, technology may be distracting, and the lure of multitasking is strong. Active listening may be all the more important given the reality of working routinely across time zones and with coworkers anywhere in the world.

Emotion When people express strong feelings, it may be tempting to react quickly

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or passionately. It’s better to use active listening to ease tensions, address conflict, and find common ground for solving problems. Low- grade emotions, too, can make it difficult to listen well. When a leader is negotiating with someone he or she doesn’t respect, it may be a particular challenge to listen without judging, to be patient, and so on. Emotions are always going to play a role at work; a good leader is able to manage his or her feelings and help others to manage theirs.

Cultural Differences The way we work, communicate, and lead is deeply connected to our cultural backgrounds. Routine or natural behaviors can be misinterpreted and can create unexpected problems when you are working with people whose cultural backgrounds are different from yours. Similarly, ideas and techniques that leaders learn—including techniques of active listening—have some level of cultural bias. While active listening may allow you to better communicate in culturally diverse settings, it is important to be mindful of your own assumptions and interpretations.

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How to Improve Your Listening Skills

This section offers specific tips and activities to help you practice and hone your active listening skills. Look back at the assessment that you completed on pages 10–11. If you gave yourself a 4 or 5 on any item, find that item below. We’ve listed tips for addressing each one; use the margin to add ideas of your own. Then use our suggestions and your ideas to set goals and practice plans. 1. I sit behind my desk, accept phone calls, shuffle papers….

Select a place and time that make distractions and disruptions less likely. Ask others not to disturb you. If you are in the middle of something important, ask the other person for a few minutes to complete your task. Then pay full attention to him or her.

2. I have a hard time concentrating on what is being said.

Turn toward the other person, make eye contact, and remove things in front of you that may distract you. With permission from the other person, take notes to help you remember important points. If a session gets long, suggest a breather.

3. I am annoyed when someone slows me down.

Consider the potential costs of not slowing down and listening to the other person. Offer the other person a specified amount of time during which you will be fully attentive. If the conversation is not finished by then, suggest another time to continue. Be proactive. Make room on your calendar every day to walk

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around and visit with people. Let them know you want to hear their concerns, suggestions, and needs.

4. I think about what I want to say next….

Set a goal of being able to repeat the last sentence the other person has said. Allow yourself time to formulate your response after the other person finishes speaking. Remind yourself that your primary goal as a listener is to understand, not to fix.

5. I don’t like it when someone questions my ideas or actions.

Ask yourself why you think that your ideas and actions can’t be improved upon. Ask someone you trust to give you feedback when you come across as a know-it-all. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures when you’re questioned.

6. I interrupt or show signs of impatience….

Focus on what is being said, not what you want to say. Give the other person permission to call you on interrupting him or her. Allow yourself time to formulate your response after the other person finishes speaking.

7. I give advice too soon….

Consider that the other person may primarily need to be heard and understood. Ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to offer ideas.

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Don’t be afraid of silence. It gives the other person a chance to continue, and it gives you a chance to collect your thoughts.

8. I tell people not to feel the way they do.

Feelings are real for the people experiencing them. Don’t expect people not to have them. Acknowledge the other person’s feelings and include them in your interpretation of what’s going on. Ask the other person to describe how his or her feelings affect work and relationships.

9. I sense that people seem upset after talking to me.

Summarize the key points you heard the other person make. Ask whether that was what he or she was trying to communicate. Ask someone you trust to observe you during conversations with others and give you feedback. List two or three things that you may have done to contribute to the other person’s reaction. At an opportune time, check them out with him or her.

10. I tend to talk significantly more than the other person talks.

Apply the 80:20 rule. Do 80 percent of the listening and 20 percent of the talking. Periodically paraphrase what you have heard the other person say: “Let me see whether I heard you correctly…” Don’t be afraid of silence. It gives the other person a chance to continue, and it gives you a chance to collect your thoughts.

11. I make it a point to fill any silences.

Ask yourself why you’re uncomfortable with silence. Extroverted preferences? Desire to appear decisive?

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Don’t be afraid of silence. It gives the other person a chance to continue, and it gives you a chance to collect your thoughts. Admit your discomfort with silence to the other person: “I feel the urge to respond immediately, but I want to hear as much as possible from you.”

12. I am uncomfortable…when the other person expresses emotions.

Remember that emotions can provide important data. They can tell you what’s behind the spoken words. Pay attention to the tone of voice, body language, and the use of specific words. Name the emotions as you notice them: “You seem worried about…. Tell me more about it.”

13. I have a ha

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