19 May 05 @ 12:46 pm
The More You Talk, The More You Learn
Many leaders are so tied to their BlackBerrys that they view face-to-face conversation as more of a nuisance than a learning tool. But in an email era, this IABC-sponsored article “In Praise Of Small Talk”
re-affirms something we’ve been telling our clients for years: employees prefer face-to-face communication with their direct managers.
The article echoes our advice to leaders: make time for talk, use smart questions, build partnerships, share experiences, and create a clear & common purpose—-all things difficult to do over email.
A client recently called to tell me that, after struggling to convince his CIO to engage in these “informal conversations,” his boss is now a big believer in them. And the organization is seeing huge benefits. The informal leadership conversations they’ve organized with small groups of employees have reduced uncertainty during a recent outsourcing, improved performance, uncovered new information, and helped discover ways of working better.
We know you’ve heard it before … but if you want to be a smarter leader, consider leaving your BlackBerry at home for the day and start talking.
posted in category(s): Coaching Points
Post a comment