The Listening Leader

We offer two programs for leadership development:

1. Leadership and Listening - Getting Past the Earmuffs
how better listening results in a more engaged, productive and effective workforce

Does your organisation suffer from the “earmuff mentality?” Is there too much telling and not enough listening? Do your meetings regularly turn into a free-for-all, where the loudest voices win?

2. The Leader as Coach

This program equips you with the skills and tools necessary to become an effective, engaging coach to your people.

1. Leadership and Listening - Getting Past the Earmuffs

Does your organisation suffer from the “earmuff mentality?” Is there too much telling and not enough listening? Do your meetings regularly turn into a free-for-all, where the loudest voices win?

Is there a tendency to confuse talking with communicating?

		A six year study by management consultant Margaret Byrne found that ‘the typical [Australian] meeting is a battleground of people trying to have their say….This can disadvantage anyone not aggressive about speaking up’       (Emily Ross in BRW April 27-May 3, 2006)
		A recent Critical Leadership Skills survey of more than 1400 employees by global consultancy the Ken Blanchard Group asking the question ‘what are the top five things that leaders most often fail to do when working with others?’ found that failing to listen or involve others in the process was cited by 81% of respondents

The price of not listening

Not listening creates fragmented, poor relationships and misunderstandings that take time, energy and money to fix. When leaders don’t listen, it sends a very clear message that others’ opinions aren’t valued; this results in withdrawal or increasingly disruptive attempts to be heard, both of which have a negative impact on the  workplace. This leads to miscommunication, lack of morale and low engagement and, ultimately, to low organisational energy, high attrition and low customer loyalty. This negatively impacts the bottom line.

Benefits of greater listening:

		Conflict can be reduced by diffusing anger and allowing people to feel heard
		Learning and Innovation is increased, because people feel that their suggestions have the space to be voiced
		Relationships are improved and strengthened
		Miscommunication is reduced
		Trust is heightened
		Teamwork is improved

Why is this program different?

We use music and performing arts techniques, as well as proven communication tools, to create greater listening awareness and  ability for participants in an engaging, immediate and dynamic way. Going beyond simply ‘active listening’, there is a combination of interactive and reflective material, covering different learning styles.  This program is fun, and allows learning to take place easily and in a memorable way.

N.B. participants are not required to show musical ability! All exercises are non-threatening, and readily applicable to the workplace.

What’s covered?

		How to become a better listener – without adding hours to your work-day
		Why we don’t listen: looking at both internal blocks – assumptions  and beliefs, personality styles – and external factors
		How men and women listen differently, the misunderstandings that can cause, and how to solve them
		When it’s ok not to listen
		Using the discovery, not directional approach - an easy way to build rapport and add value
		How to ask collaborative questions – learning to ‘ping’, not ‘probe’

Who should attend?

Leaders and managers who need to say less and listen more to get the results they need

		New advanced skills in listening
		Increased rapport-building skills, using coaching/enquiry techniques
		A personalized action plan to take back into the workplace, with follow-up to ensure integration

Duration:

Usually one day, customized. For 10 - 12 participants.

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This group course equips you with the critical skills required to develop your people for success and achieve organizational results. You’ll learn specific coaching tools and techniques that will enable you to create an environment of motivation, recognition and productivity, in a methodology which builds capability, not co-dependency!

Read our Article on ‘Mistakes Coaches Make

Individual coaching is also available to develop these essential skills. Who Should Attend: Executives, Managers and Team Leaders who want to bring out the best in their teams and themselves. Program Outcomes:   Coaching definitions and key distinctions that shift you to the  role of coach leader   Training in 3 core competencies: Connection, Clarification and Commitment   Skills in listening, dynamic enquiry, modeling and delivery that maximize performance   The ability to create conversations that overcome problems and get results   Written materials to use in your own coaching approach   Practice in both coaching and being coached Benefits:   Improved team spirit and individual motivation and engagement   Greater initiative, creativity and innovation in your people   The ability to build relationships while accomplishing the task at hand   Reduced employee turnover Duration: 12 week course, 2 hours per week in a group format. The time-frame can be customized to suit your needs.

“Sarah’s teaching style is calm and informative. She has the ability to thoroughly answer questions so that one is able to understand in depth the logic and reasoning behind the answer.” Lynda N, Project Manager “Sarah provided excellent scripting and feedback for each of our coaching sessions. It was specific and we all had powerful take-aways.” Barb, Senior Manager

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