Every interaction presents an opportunity for a manager to listen or to dictate. This can happen independently or a mixture of both. Knowing when and how long to listen vs. dictate can have a profound impact on the outcome.
If your goal is to have an effective conversation, frequently pause and ask for feedback then listen. Dominating the session with your own thoughts, ideas and opinions creates missed opportunities and potentially the best possible outcome. In the end you are robbing the other participates of their ability to contribute. If people feel they were excluded from contributing they may not fully buy-in which makes it harder to move the needle of change.
The time when a leader needs to dictate comes when a decision needs to be made. You will know it is time to dictate after everyone has had an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns but a consensus can’t be reached.
Take the time to listen more than dictate and clearly understand when the time to dictate has come. It will open a whole new world of possibilities.
Stop dominating the interaction and do this to #BeABetterLeader.Click To TweetLast updated on March 6th, 2018 at 07:10 am
