Manufacture Your Day by LEARNING TO BECOME A BETTER LISTENER

The reason I’ve developed such a strong understanding of employees at all levels in the manufacturing industry is simple: I listen to what they have to say.

Would you like to know one of people’s biggest frustrations on a daily basis?

Very few individuals listen with the intent to understand. Too often, they focus on their own perspective and the meaning they assign to a situation. This narrow focus closes their minds. When people make a true effort to understand others, they resolve many issues quickly, before those issues grow into much bigger problems.

Let me give you an example.

An employee is working on starting a new project. While entering data, he notices a discrepancy between the quote and the actual price. The quote is $47,000 lower than the real cost. He contacts the person who initiated the quote.

That person begins investigating, but it takes time. Meanwhile, people from other departments start pushing the project engineer with questions like, “What’s happening with the project? The customer is waiting.”

Because the project engineer has officially taken over the project, it suddenly becomes his problem, and no one else wants to get involved. What follows is a finger-pointing contest that leaves everyone frustrated and disempowered.

So, what would you do if you were in the project engineer’s shoes?

The people in this scenario are not the real problem. The deeper issue lies in the organizational structure and the lack of trust and collaboration. These barriers hold back motivated team members from going the extra mile.

If something doesn’t happen “your way,” please consider this:

• Become curious instead of furious. This keeps you in your intelligent mind instead of slipping into your emotional mind (when emotions run high, intelligence runs low).

• Ask open-ended questions with the intent to understand the challenge.

• Look for solutions instead of putting pressure on someone who is simply trying to do their job well.

• Be genuinely interested in the challenges of your co-workers—and truly listen to what they have to say.

Let me close with words from Richard Branson:

“A good leader leads from the front. Don’t get stuck in the office. Get out, meet people and listen to their stories. There is so much to be learned from listening to people’s hopes, frustrations, and points of view.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

How willing are you to learn more about the people around you?

Read this Forbes Article:

10 Steps to Effective Listening

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