Absurd - A Professional Coach Who Never Watches Game Films

I had promised to continue writing about the six moves in language, however I am compelled to write about the role of listening or rather transforming your company into a listening organization and the importance thereof. (I like the football analogy at the end of this short blog).

Much of my work has to do with this fact;

When most leaders in corporate America study their business performance, they look to their up to the minute P&Ls accurately prepared Financial Statements and a host of other performance reports. And they neglect to look at the one area of the business that is directly responsible for all the closely examined numbers. I propose that it's just a case of normal blindness, like I'd been discussing in an earlier blog. That is, the executives study what they know and are oblivious to what they don't know or observe.

Here's the ah ha fact that has the potential to transform most companies;

All the financial results carefully tabulated in the reports are generated by conversations taking place throughout the company and until leadership has a way to assess the language responsible for the results, they are in touch with only half the picture. Until they can accurately assess the competence of their people to coordinate action with each other and with customers they are not in touch with what's really going on.

What it requires to get in touch is to begin to listen to what is actually being said department by department. If you, as a leader in your company, do not actively engage in listening to the conversations in your company, it would be akin to a football coach never watching game films. Ridiculous right! But how many of us never make the time or better yet, even know what to listen for if we do listen.

Comments?

Dan