Before we get to my tip of the week, let me announce my new online course called “The Zen of Listening Hour.” I designed it for startups, established businesses and other organizations where survival depends on strong relationships and learning. I designed this short, time-saving course because many founders regard listening as one of their keys to success.
For example, I came across an interview with Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur and celebrity on the popular TV show Shark Tank. According to Cuban, in his 20’s, he loved to talk and was a notorious interrupter during work meetings. As a result, his first job out of college didn’t last very long.
His mentor suggested that before a meeting he write the word “Listen” at the top of his notepad. Since then, the habit stuck. “No lie,” Cuban said, “if you go back over the last 40 years now that I’ve been going into meetings and taking notes, I write, ‘Listen,’ first thing.”
Cuban often says that learning through listening is one of the keys to his success. Cuban told Men’s Health in 2020, “I recognized that learning was truly a skill, and by continuing to learn, to this day, I’m able to compete and keep up and get ahead of most people.”
Mindful Listening is a key to your company’s success. “The Zen of Listening Hour” will transform the way your employees learn and connect with each other and with customers. For more details, go to www.MindfulCommunication.com.
Nigel L., a student form an Ivy League entrepreneurship program, wrote:
Rebecca, I do my best to be a team player when I’m working on a project with other students. I do my share and often do more than my share of analysis. This can be a problem as I often find glitches and point them out to the group. 9/10 times my detective work pays off with a better grades for all of us. However, much of that time I get resistance to my observations from some other team members and that affects our relationship. What to do?
Nigel, you are truly COREageous! It’s too bad the others don’t appreciate your insights and what you do for their grades! But here are some things you can do to lessen the resistance:
Know when to speak up, and when not to. You are clearly to be relied upon to find problems. But once in a while, you might wait to be asked for your analysis until you’ve given the others time to find the glitch and be the hero for a change. Listen to others before speaking up. If someone else notes a glitch before you, thank them for their discovery.
Do you go into too much detail? Attention spans are short and people are impatient. Point out the problem, a couple supporting points and your suggestions. Keep your rebuttal short.
Perhaps a better choice of words or a bit of humor may pay off better for you? Phrases like, “I’d like your opinion on this one,” or “It may surprise you guys, but I have noticed something interesting!”
Speaking up is stepping up — a startup strength. We just try not to bruise more egos than necessary!
Finding resistance to your ideas? Step up and contact me at Rebecca @MindfulCommunication.com
A COREageous CEO listens to the good, bad and the ugly.
When passion takes hold and our vision becomes invincible, our mirror gets cloudy and we’re apt to act on murky and idealistic perceptions. It is comfortable to surround ourselves with people who share the same mirror, instead of those that come from a more realistic perspective.
Include people in your organization who will expose the weaknesses you may have denied or overlooked. As in the movie, The Matrix, the character Morpheus delivered the truth. Consider forming a small team of Morpheus’s that will help you see clearly. And will you listen?
In the highly recommended book, “The Art of the Start 2.0” the author, Guy Kawasaki, suggested having a Morpheus for each aspect of your business:
Research and development
Operations
Finance
Ethics
Kawasaki claims that a Morpheus is the yang to the CEO’s yin. The CEO decides “what” while the Morpheus identifies “what could go wrong?”
Could having a Morpheus on your team safeguard your venture?
Have trouble listening to the hard stuff that could save your startup? Listening is “my thing.” Contact me at Rebecca@MIndfulCommunication.com
When a startup is hanging on by its fingernails, when the reasons aren’t obvious or when the path to change is unclear, an employee survey or interviews by a neutral third party can provide helpful insight.
Chris, a founder and CEO of a troubled startup, was shocked by an internal survey showing that the poor customer service and low productivity had lots to do with him. Over the last year, Chris spent several thousand dollars on staff “kick-it-up” activities to motivate the team and to paint himself as a “nice guy to work for” while regularly pointing to the inadequacies and laziness of his team. This combination of tricks and treats created a cognitive dissonance and a lack of trust within the team.
Embarrassed, humbled and fraught with the worry that his startup was on the brink, Chris reached out for help.
The team’s feedback indicated, almost unanimously, that Chris needs to listen better. Chris needed to start with some self-reflection, some accountability for how he is heard by his team and customers before being able to extend a listening ear to others.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, or if you want to take some preventative measures, consider the questions below that helped clarify Chris’s need for change:
Do you ask more questions than you lecture?
Do you follow through with the answers you give?
Are you clear and consistent with your expectations?
What’s your ratio of negative to positive talk during meetings?
How do you react to your team when they make a mistake?
When giving criticism do adjust your delivery to the person’s sensitivities and strengths?
Need help with your ability to listen mindfully to your employees and customers?Get the book, “The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction” written by yours truly, now on Audible.com, or contact me for more personal training.
A survey of 7,000 U.S. workers across 19 industries conducted by the nonprofit group Mental Health America and the Faas Foundation found that 71% of workers are looking to change employers. Darren Hardy, author and executive coach, claims that 1 out of 7 employees are on the hunt for new work. Losing even one employee can be most devastating to a startup.
The main reason: Employees leave bosses, not companies. Here are two powerful, simple, affordable and frequently overlooked ways to retain valuable employees:
#1 There is much to be gained from regular one-on-one, face-to-face, distraction free, check in conversations with your employees. People are drawn to bosses who mindfully listen and show appreciation for their talents. Taking 10-15 minutes to check in with your staff on a personal and professional level every couple weeks helps build trust and rapport ( staying power).
If those kinds of conversations feel awkward, prepare a couple open-ended questions that get a conversation moving, like How is the job going? If I could make it more pleasant, more efficient or help you do your job better, what would it take? Let them talk. Take notes. You may not be able to fulfill every wish, but at least you give them the opportunity to express them. Then, follow up with their suggestions within a week to 10 days. This further demonstrates a sincere appreciation and respect for their input. You can ask these same kinds of questions in a group setting, but you’ll learn more in the one-on-one meetings.
#2 Reinforce the obvious and not-so-obvious accomplishments. Celebrate the sales, the negotiated contracts and technical breakthroughs, of course. But don’t forget the little things that make the business better. The not-so-obvious, but noteworthy acts to mention include stepping up to cover for a colleague, meeting a difficult customer’s demand, picking up lunch, etc. Actions like these allowed for productivity where there might have been none. No positive, helpful act that serves the business well should be overlooked.
Oftentimes, it is a founder’s modest and meaningful acts of connection that keep a team intact.
If your staff retention rates run low, look to creating better connections. I can help. Contact me at Rebecca@MindfulCommunication.c
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Before we get to my tip of the week, let me announce my new online course called “The Zen of Listening Hour.” I designed it for startups, established businesses and other organizations where survival depends on strong relationships and learning. I designed this short, time-saving course because many founders regard listening as one of their keys to success.
Nigel L., a student form an Ivy League entrepreneurship program, wrote:
A COREageous CEO listens to the good, bad and the ugly.
When a startup is hanging on by its fingernails, when the reasons aren’t obvious or when the path to change is unclear, an employee survey or interviews by a neutral third party can provide helpful insight.
A survey of 7,000 U.S. workers across 19 industries conducted by the nonprofit group Mental Health America and the Faas Foundation found that 71% of workers are looking to change employers. Darren Hardy, author and executive coach, claims that 1 out of 7 employees are on the hunt for new work. Losing even one employee can be most devastating to a startup.
"It takes more than courage to be an Entrepreneur, it takes CORE."