People, shut up and listen!
Are you an 18-second manager? Management guru Tom Peters thinks far to many of us should be quiet and listen. He says listening may be more important than strategic planning. In fact, he believe strategic listening is definitely more important than strategic planning.
Isn’t it ironic that I found this piece on Guy Kawasaki’s blog. No, not the motorcycle guy, the ever incessant Twitter freak who never stops “talking,” but has some very interesting stuff on his site. You go Guy!
So as Tom would say, “shut up and listen.” Check it out.
http://holykaw.alltop.com/why-you-should-shut-up-and-listen-by-tom-pete
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2 comments
There are a number of organzations “out there” — most of them corporate — that teach talking/listening skills. They teach you the way to listen and talk in a professional business setting at Company X. Whether it’s good or bad teaching might not be relevant. The fact that they’ve invested the time speaks to organizational culture and some level of commitment to what might be thought of as speaking the same language. Listening is certainly conducive to good planning. But if listening is our only attribute, well, there are lots of voices who know without a doubt what NC State should be doing on a wide range of topics…athletics, administration, communications, etc. 😉
Reminds me of a great Mark Twain comment: “Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often.”
I’m also putting in a vote for the importance of what Jim Collins calls “white space.” It really just means “time to be quiet and think.” Have you noticed that we’re so outfitted with the technology to respond/act/react with immediacy now that we’ve started to culturally reject quiet reflection?
Like if you’re not simultaneously texting/tweeting/surfing/graphicdesigning/driving/WordPressing/blogging/pressreleasing. . .you’re having an “off day.”
I support the right to be quiet and think. While I am in love with the technology that I get to use every day, sometimes I fear the day will come that I’ll feel too guilty to actually take a moment to reflect. To think. To sit shamelessly alone on a bench in the courtyard, without an iPhone, without a laptop, just strategically thinking. Just letting something gel in my head.
Just using the old blackberry between my ears.
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