Great leaders are described as strong listeners.
If you measure what you value, then why aren’t you measuring this skill?
With a time code for listening, here’s what could happen…
Starting Point
The typical approach to time codes is that as soon as there is even an idea of a project, it gets a code.
Everyone who touches the project uses that code to track how much time they spend on it.
Then you measure.
- Who has capacity for more work?
- Are you hitting the estimates for junior versus senior hourly rates?
- Do you need to adjust the team size to meet the fee and the deadline?
This approach sets a culture based on being efficient with your time to be productive.
To be productive, you need to progress work product.
To progress work product, you need to be “doing something.”
Listening is Treated (and Avoided) as Non-billable
“Doing” words are cited as researching, analyzing, creating, writing, etc.
Listening – isn’t on that list.
Perhaps you simply don’t notice when it happens through the day.
Or it isn’t on that list because you and your team see it as a delay to “actual doing” i.e. the activities that are clearly defined in a scope of work and have specific time codes.
You’ve been influenced to associate the act of listening with non-billable work, and potentially even with non-promotable work. Given you are surrounded by messages to minimize your non-billable hours, the result is that you and those around you are not valuing or supporting the skill of active listening. You may even consider your time listening to your team through the day as the primary reason you are “doing work” at night.
Overwhelm
Active listening should be part of the solution to the growing overwhelm felt by knowledge workers. Feeling listened to is key to navigating stress. Without it, periods of heavy deadlines can feel endless and unsustainable. Without active listening, your team will feel progressively isolated.
As long as listening is undervalued, it won’t be increased to face overwhelm. Instead, its continued scarcity is exacerbating the problem.
Recognize Listening as a Valued Action
What if you had a time code for logging your active listening?
You would also have a minimum number of hours that you needed to be truly in active listening mode. Not researching, not scheduling, not communicating, not training, not editing. Listening.
This one shift could be all you and other leaders need to:
- More clearly delegate actions and responsibilities
- Seek out people to listen to
- Be approached by direct reports to claim some listening time
- Build referent power
- Release the grip on technical expertise being the only source of value and influence
- Improve observations of what isn’t being said
Those are some impactful behaviour shifts that every business would benefit from.
Let’s leverage the powerful motivation of a target to drive all of us toward being stronger leaders.
TL:DR
- The action of listening isn’t valued in how your time is measured.
- Listening is part of the overwhelm problem when it should be part of the solution.
- Implement a time code for listening as a way to strengthen leadership.
