Listening Leaders Archived Edition

January 2, 2008

LISTENING LEADERS BEG TO BEGIN AGAIN

Listening Leaders® value the opportunity to constantly set new goals and begin again. Consequently they love the opportunity to engage every New Year, every new month, every new week, every new day, and every new moment. For one simple fact remains: every listener who plans the future holds a greater chance to enjoy their listening and leading present moments, than those who make no plans.

The key for listening success lies in embracing past victories, learning from missed opportunities, and establishing ongoing new beginnings. As another year begins, we invite you to pause for a moment and consider three simple questions.

First, as you look in the rearview mirror of last year, who did you find great value in listening to? Why? Specifically, what did you do as a listener to enhance the listening experience and resulting value? How will you replicate your productive listening behavior as you begin another New Year?

Second, as you evaluate the missed listening opportunities of the past, how would you alter your recent wasted listening moments? Who could you have struck from your listening list? In addition, in retrospect who should you have added to your listening list? As you begin again, what are the lessons to be learned from each missed opportunity of yesterday?

Third, as you look forward and begin again, what are your newfound listening stretch goals and objectives? Or, put another way, as the New Year commences, have you made any new beginning listening and leading resolutions? How about your global, long-term, overarching listening resolutions for the year? How about your specific intermediate listening resolutions? And of course, how about your concrete short-term detailed listening resolutions?

So as the calendar turns and another year begins, it is important to remember that successful Listening Leaders® constantly focus on establishing actionable and measurable road maps. As productive listeners they repeatedly repeat the simple mantra, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!”

Then they make “smart stretch listening resolutions” that are important to them, and not simply imposed by others. Next, successful resolution makers avoid making resolutions that cannot be met. They limit their resolutions to a small number of significant and feasible goals and objectives. Third, they announce their resolutions to members of their Target 25 support team. Finally, successful listeners establish a personal measurement and reward strategy to record their listening progress.

In our continued quest of “Advancing listening leadership throughout the world,” we invite and challenge Listening Leaders® everywhere to raise their listening sights, refine their listening resolutions, and listen and serve others better, throughout 2008.

LISTENING LEADER® KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders® constantly set new goals and begin again.

When resolutions are made, we are once again reminded of the unknown sage who observed, “After all is said and done, a lot more will be said than done.”

The antidote in making and meeting actionable listening resolutions lies in setting “SMART” Goals. Like successful goal fulfillers everywhere, thoughtful Listening Leaders® always set stretch goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Tangible.

Specify the five “W” elements of your listening goals. What is the goal? Why do I want to accomplish this goal? Who will be involved? Where will I act on this goal? When will I fulfill this goal? Be specific.

Second, establish a method of Measurement for determining your successful fulfillment of each listening goal. Create criteria for success. How will you measure your accomplishments?

Fourth, be Realistic and set listening goals that are challenging but reachable and relevant. Although T. S. Eliot noted, “Human kind cannot bear very much reality.” Listening Leaders® demand realism.

Finally, set new listening goals that have a Tangible Timed Target. Establish time frames for accomplishment. For as the Austrian sociologist, Ivan Illich reminds us, “We must rediscover the distinction between hope and expectation.”

Thus the die is cast for another New Year. For every Listening Leader® who chooses to begin again and grow in 2008, we remind you of the simple wisdom of Owen Meredith, who wrote, “Genius does what it must, and Talent does what it can.” Our invitation is to “Take your choice.”

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Be SMART

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Live and learn ~ Proverb
Part of success is preparation on purpose ~ Jim Rohn
Worthwhile action leads to worthwhile results ~ Lyman K. Steil
If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try again ~ William Edward Hickerson
One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak ~ G. K. Chesterton

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Upon careful reflection of the single best lesson learned from the much too-long recent political campaign season, consider:

“Talk is cheap because the supply obviously exceeds demand.”

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

Kudos to Listening Leader® Jim Mullin of James E Mullin & Associates. Jim is an action-oriented listening Financial Planner who has already set his 2008 SMART Listening resolutions. Sensitized to the skill of listening, Jim has posted signs around his office and home that read: “Commit to Listen; Ask Questions; and, Take the Time to Listen.” In addition, Jim shares the gift of our award-winning book, LISTENING LEADERS, The Ten golden Rules to Listen, Lead & Succeed to select clients and friends. Congratulations Jim, we applaud you and wish you the best in 2008!

BECOME CERTIFIED TO TEACH LISTENING LEADERSHIP IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

You will become fully equipped to deliver a unique and proven Workshop that provides practical and measurable results. For certification details, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com

ORDER YOUR “LISTENING LEADERS WORKSHOP ‘IN A BOX’.

You don't have to wait for the next live Listening Leaders® Workshop! The entire workshop is in a format that you can take at your own pace in the comfort of your own office or home. For details, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com

WE ARE LISTENING and invite your action

Together, we can change the listening attitudes, skills, and knowledge of leaders throughout the world. We appreciate and invite your assistance in expanding our listening leader’s connections. Eight simple steps in advancing this important movement include:

Resolve to be a better listener.

Forward this newsletter to your children, grand children, friends and colleagues. More important, invite them to Subscribe to the “complimentary and weekly” newsletter by going to www.listeningleaders.com

Send us your listening leader insights, examples and stories.

Start a Listening Leaders Reading and Discussion Group. Invite your Librarian to purchase our Award winning LISTENING LEADER book.

As meeting, conference, and convention attendees spend the bulk of their time listening, please let others know of our availability to Keynote Conventions and customize Listening Leader Workshops.

Invite us to identify specific needs for listening development of leaders in your organizations.

Ask about our proven listening leader training programs and our customized in-house train-the-trainer strategies and our Certification program.

We can help, we are committed, and we are listening.

Listen, Lead On & Make Today Count! – Manny & Rick

__________________________________________________________________

LISTENING LEADERS: THE TEN GOLDEN RULES
TO LISTEN, LEAD & SUCCEED

By Dr. Lyman K. Steil
& Dr. Richard K. Bommelje

Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press
(ISBN 1-59298-073-2)

A pioneering book that directly connects listening with leadership.Based on more than 50 collective years of work with listening leaders throughout the world, Dr. Steil and Dr. Bommelje have created 10 practical, proven, and priceless rules to enhance everyone's listening and leadership success. Although outstanding leaders are outstanding listeners, most leaders have neglected the development of their listening attitudes, skills and knowledge.

“This is the most significant book ever written on listening and leadership and will profit leaders at all levels in all types of organizations and enterprises.” Dr. Ralph Nichols, Father of the Field of Listening

ORDER YOUR COPY at www.ListeningLeaders.com or www.amazon.com

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Dr. Lyman K. (Manny) Steil
25 Robb Farm Road
St. Paul, MN 55127
651-483-3597
LKS@ListeningLeaders.com

Dr. Richard K. (Rick) Bommelje
8530 Amber Oak Dr
Orlando, FL 32817
407-679-7280
RKB@ListeningLeaders.com

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