NOTABLE
» Managers are accountable for 51% more responsibilities than they can actually handle effectively.
How do you manage your managers? Let’s consider the stress that managers experience and listen with the goal of helping them work through the challenges they face.
QUOTABLE
» Winning Words
We live under a weight of demands, real and imagined, that is debilitating.
– STEPHANIE BROWN
Psychologist, quoted in The New York Post
In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.
– FRED ROGERS
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
DOABLE
» 3 Key Plays
1. Listen with Humility.
You don’t have all the answers, and that’s OK. When you have the courage to face yours fears and insecurities, you can listen with an open mind and thereby earn the trust and respect that frees people to share what really matters to them.
2. Loop Your Listening.
A “looper,” according to psychology professor Jamil Zaki, asks a question, allows time for the other person to respond, and creates a loop by paraphrasing what they heard and asking follow-up questions like “Is that right?” or “What else am I missing?”
3. Listen Aggressively.
You can’t be passive if you truly care about improving the lives of the people around you. So seek people who know what’s going on. Ask thoughtful questions. Don’t settle for shallow answers. Demonstrate a caring attitude. Commit to realistic actions. And follow through on the promises you make. Or, as author Heather Younger calls it, “close the loop” on your active listening.
» Are you ready to help manage your manager?
The Monday Playbook delivers a quick, motivational plan to help you win your week as you tackle universal challenges in leadership, business, and life.
