HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“If you think communication is all talk, you haven’t been listening.”
—Ashleigh BrilliantConsider this example: You’re leading a group of technical specialists. Although all are experts
in their area, they have not had much direct experience with the organization’s customers. Yet
increasingly, they are being asked to work directly with customers. A crucial element of their
success will be their ability to listen to the customer before suggesting solutions. This tool will
help them develop their listening skills, resulting in more successful customer contact.
WEB WORKSHEET
Choose a couple of situations in which you or those you lead will be asked to listen deeply
(e.g., in working with customers, within the workgroup, with a senior manager on an impor-
tant project). Use the workspace provided to develop typical lead-in questions that will help
ensure effective communication in these situations.
Copyright McGraw-Hill 2000. Original purchasers of this book are permitted to photocopy or customize this worksheet by downloading it from
http://www.books.mcgraw-hill.com/training/download.The document can then be opened, edited, and printed using Microsoft Word or other word processing
software.
SECTION 8 TOOLS FORCOMMUNICATION 255
Typical listening situation Best technique Typical lead-in that you might use