The Conscientious Employee

Conscientiousness in the workplace is a valuable competency. Conscientious employees typically demonstrate their competence by paying attention to details, anticipating what is next, and being very self-disciplined in their approach. These employees typically uphold the organizations standards, they tend to stay out of trouble and have very high levels of integrity. Conscientious employees are great!

It seems that everything about conscientious employees would be very desirable for any organization. However, in some cases there are some drawbacks. On the not-so-good side of the scale they may develop a tendency to be overly critical of other co-workers. Co-workers whose standards are not set so high. These co-workers may be fully performing employees, just not star performers.

When conscientiousness develops into a relentless pursuit of perfection and judgment on those who are not so conscientious it can lead to a decline in workplace morale and creativity. Morale can suffer with both the highly conscientious employees and the not-so-conscientious employees. Job roles that require more flexibility and creativeness may also develop performance problems. Examples of  job roles or areas that often suffer include sales, research and development, and marketing. Workplace leaders should carefully consider the dynamics of their organization and work hard to help themselves and other employees find the correct balance of conscientiousness.

 

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Balancing Deadlines

Deadlines help us create a sense of purpose and manage priorities, and most workplace professionals recognize the benefits of managing projects and people through deadlines. Can the use of deadlines cause other somewhat unexpected results? The answer of course is – yes.

Extensive use of deadlines may lead to an abuse of power and create a form of micromanagement. Drawbacks to micromanagement include noticeable reductions in employee morale, increased absenteeism, and a general weakness in building or maintaining high performance teams. 

Abusive use of deadlines sometimes create panic about pending projects and a noticeable absence of workplace innovation. While many may argue that some employees perform better under pressure, too much pressure can create an environment that invites burn-out which results in employees disconnecting from the true spirit of the organization in hopes of finding some relief for the uncomfortable and unbalanced circumstances. Nearly everyone will quickly agree that the proper use of deadlines is important for success but at the same time effective workplace leaders know that they must utilize deadlines properly and maintain an appropriate balance.

Technorati Tags: morale,power,absenteeism

Practice Unlearning for Success!

Unlearning, is it important to you? Unlearning is based on the idea that we are a product of ourselves, our experiences, espoused values, and the cultural climate where we live and work. In order to change, grow, and improve sometimes we need to “unlearn” previous skills or habits.

Education and training are paramount to developing new skills and preparing ourselves to take on new challenges. Often it is important for us to let go of the old ways of doing things before we can begin the new. In still other cases when we are under pressure to perform or things don’t seem to be going exactly as we planned we may revert back to old habits or skills. Changing and solidifying new found skills is critical for improving performance, yet sometimes we fail to unlearn the old habits first.

Perhaps the single most important issue for growing or developing new found skills is having the opportunity to practice them. Through practice we start to form a bond with the new skill which can lead to it becoming a habit. Habits are hard to break, be proactive in solidifying your next learning experience by putting the new skills into practice and by replacing old “bad” habits with new “good” habits!

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The Empathy Scale – Balanced.

Empathy in the workplace has many faces and employees encounter emotional circumstances every day while on the job. In some cases the idea of emotion in the workplace seems strictly forbidden and at the same time fully performing employees are most likely using an appropriate balance of head and heart to be successful. When it comes to workplace empathy where is the balance?

It is often argued that workplace decisions should be absent of empathy. Negotiations for goods, services, and even wages and benefits may be skewed when empathy enters the process. Savvy workplace professionals seek the right balance of empathy in all decision making processes which should include decisions made at all levels.

If we are too close to a situation or empathize too much with someone’s need we may go beyond the boundaries of the norm to help them. In these situations we may even violate our own personal boundaries and strain our position or career. The other side of the coin of course is being so focused on not empathizing with others needs that we make ruthless choices which breakdown employee trust and tarnish motivation and commitment from workplace teams.

Finding the correct balance of empathy is not always easy. Employees who get this right are most likely the star performers. Proper workplace relationships seem to come easy to them, they make quality decisions when it comes to utilizing resources and addressing customer needs. Perhaps most importantly they demonstrate a positive attitude and they are of course – balanced.

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7 Steps to Improved Self-Confidence!

Self-confidence is something that many of us wish we had more of, and at the same time some workplace employees may have too much. As with most workplace skills and competencies an appropriate balance of self-confidence is important for success.

Let’s assume that you are not over-confident and that you (like many people) are sometimes searching for a little extra confidence to give you additional influence or power in your workplace role. If this applies to you, consider these sevens steps for a more confident you:

1. Consider your past achievements – think about 5 or more great things you have achieved, create a list and keep it accessible, refer to it often.
2. Analyze personal strengths – what are your strengths and weaknesses? What are opportunities and threats?  Consider a personal S.W.O.T. analysis.
3. Consider what is important to you – what things are truly important to you? Think about reaching for things that are important, but take small steps.
4. Defeat any negative self-talk – negative self-talk can be very damaging. You must develop a personal mindset that is positive. Find something positive in each day, choose to focus on that item or thought.
5. Promise yourself you are committed to succeed! – Make a personal pledge to yourself that you are committed to success.
6. Build your knowledge – learn, identify skills necessary to reach your goals or targets, consider past mistakes an opportunity to refocus, it is important to remain positive and think forward!
7. Start with small goals, celebrate, and grow – each small step is a piece of your success. As you begin to achieve some small reachable goals, stretch a little and go further. Celebrate your success and reflect, you may be surprised how far you have come.

Remember that self-confidence includes a balanced approach, too much confidence can be just as harmful as too little!

Technorati Tags: gain confidence,grow

Motivation - Workplace Relationships Matter!

Organizations attempting to understand why their employee teams lack motivation may need to look no further than the personal on-the-job relationships that their employees share. Some schools of thought have been that organizations should discourage co-workers becoming friends considering that the imaginative future problems will outweigh any short-term positive results.

As the generations and their associated informal social policies shift over time, so do the values and beliefs that a new breed of workforce brings to the job. Organizations now more than ever may need to consider the impact of discouraging workplace friendships or downplaying the positive effects of emotional connections that people naturally make with each other. Many organizations claim to encourage a team approach and one of the most fundamental ways to build teams is through relationships. Many positive outcomes can occur when teams form strong interpersonal relationships, here are a few worth mentioning:

• sense of community
• creating shared history
• sense of obligation
• desire to belong

These and many other similar positive relationship building outcomes provide something many organizations seek – workplace motivation. Employees who fail to form relationships or worse yet are discouraged from forming relationships lack a sense of purpose in their work, or even worse, a sense of distrust in the organization. Organizations that discourage building relationships or a management philosophy that encourages tearing down cross-organizational relationships set themselves up for alienation that fuels cynicism, conflict, and a lack of enthusiasm for the mission at hand.

Do you desire a motivated and engaged workforce? Building effective and positive workplace relationships is an essential  ingredient for the motivation recipe. 

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Adaptability, Optimism, and Diversity

Are you flexible when confronted with workplace challenges or obstacles? Many experts believe that this may be a key competency for workplace success, especially in organizations that possess high levels of emotional intelligence. Not surprising is the idea that being adaptable and displaying high levels of emotional intelligence seem to fit together like hand and glove.

Having the skills to read your environment and understand the needs of the people or the organization and then adapt appropriately should be a desired skill. Like many workplace skills adaptability is not created genetically, it is a learned skill. Those who have learned to scan their environment and make adjustments as required are often regarded as valuable team members. They are the first to get picked for new or challenging assignments.

In many cases those who are adaptable are also highly optimistic.They tend to be resilient in their pursuit of excellence while also facing challenges and setbacks head on. They approach others in the workplace with empathy and leverage diversity effectively. Differences are not viewed as a distraction from the focus, they are viewed as opportunities.

Do you adapt quickly to challenges and obstacles? Are you optimistic about assignments and do you recognize diversity as a collaborative opportunity?

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Feedback and the Amygdala Hijack.

A recent blog focused on the idea of giving and receiving effective feedback in the workplace. Feedback is very important to ensure high levels of self-confidence and to promote improved performance. Unfortunately many workplace employees are not effective at giving or receiving feedback and will often avoid the feedback process as much as possible. One fear that exists is the fear of upsetting the individual receiving the feedback and essentially making the situation worse instead of better. Feedback needs to be properly managed which includes delivery at the right time. The worst time to give feedback to a fellow employee is during an amygdala hijack.

Ah-mig-da-lah what? An amygdala hijack occurs when our brain is in the fight or flight mode. Amygdala, is the part of our brain that is responsible for comparing incoming information with our past emotional memories. A hijack ensues when we are completely overcome with fight or flight emotions (and other brain functions) and as a result logic and reasoning are thrown out of the window. It is protection, in motion, real-time.

In the workplace it is important to avoid feeback in very intense emotional situations. During these times most of what will be heard, felt, or given is an outright character attack. Employees need feedback, they need constructive and useful feedback. Employees who receive no feedback will lose confidence in their abilities and assume that their efforts do not make a difference. Choose the right time for feedback, create a culture of performance feedback and watch the motivation and morale of employee teams grow.

 

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Feedback Makes Us Better!

If you were doing something wrong, or something that could be improved, would you want to know about it? Most employees would quickly answer “yes” to this question. Then why do we sometimes struggle with the feedback process? Many fear upsetting co-workers, supervisors, or direct reports. The fear of the unknown or the conflict that may develop makes some employees steer clear of anything even remotely connected to the feedback exchange.

Feedback does not have to be a confrontational situation, often I suggest to organizations to think of it as a conversation, not a confrontation. Organizations that develop a culture of effective feedback, both giving and receiving are typically higher performing organizations when compared with those that do not. In some organizations feedback is abundant, in others we have to dig deep to get the feedback, and in some cases we may have to self-assess and provide our own feedback.

One key element of the feedback exchange is to create an atmosphere of providing feedback that focuses on helping the recipient succeed. Feedback should not be about an opportunity to humiliate, devalue, or disrespect a fellow employee, it should be about helping them succeed. High performing organizations utilize feedback systems that allow the process to go upward, downward, and horizontally throughout the organization, it is not just about supervisor to direct report.

Do you utilize effective feedback systems in your organization?

 

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Reliability Builds Trust

If asked, would other co-workers describe you as reliable? Reliability helps build trust and in many cases a lack of trust represents a missing link for building effective teams.

Have you ever asked a co-worker for help on an assignment and have been let down? Have you shared duties or responsibilities in a team environment where someone didn’t do their part? These circumstances or situations could lead to a lack of trust in the future. 

In team environments everyone must be committed to doing their part, more importantly the team as a whole needs to be committed to managing the unexpected. Simply put - teams who are better prepared to manage the unexpected will be more effective and productive than those who are not. Here are a few tips for managing the unexpected:

• build contingency time into projects or tasks
• avoid procrastination, get started early
• prioritize and avoid perfectionism when appropriate

As teams develop and evolve remember that not all members will contribute in the same manner, quantity, or quality. Being reliable to your team will make you a valued member. Reliability in turn builds trust – teams that have more trust in each other will produce better results.

Are you reliable? Can I trust your answer?

 

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Spotting Conflict: A Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

Conflict surrounds us in nearly every workplace. Spotting conflict and recognizing how to manage it is an important skill for all employees.

Do you know when a conflict is about to erupt? In many cases employees fail to read the warning signs of conflict. Keeping in mind that not all conflict is bad, and that typically bad or harmful conflict is really mismanaged conflict, we can watch for conflict that is about to erupt. Here are a few warning signs:

Body language – Changes in facial expressions, especially looking away, tightened lips, narrowing or raising eyebrows. Arms crossed, changes in leg position when sitting, and stepping back or turning away.

Tone – Listen carefully for feeling. Increased volume (level), changes in pitch higher or lower, crackling or wavering.

Words – Anger words, blaming, speed of delivery (faster, more rapid), referencing the past or unrelated issues.

Our ability to read the signs of conflict can drastically improve our workplace effectiveness. In fact, the ability to spot conflict is often considered to be part of our emotional intelligence. Many workplace issues are emotionally charged, those who watch carefully for emerging conflict and then utilize their problem solving or negotiation skills to manage the situation will have stronger more committed workplace relationships. Can you spot conflict?

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Workplace Conflict: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Conflict in the workplace is very common. Nearly anytime we have people interacting with other people, it isn’t long until some type of conflict develops. Is all conflict bad? Many experts believe that there are many different types or forms of conflict. When managing conflict we may discover that not all conflict is bad, in fact some believe that harmful conflict is really just mismanaged conflict.

The good, bad, and ugly sides of conflict can be described as follows:

Good – learning from conflict, new product or service breakthroughs, appropriate and well managed competition 

Bad – ignoring issues, not dealing with situations, criticizing and complaining instead of managing

Ugly – low morale, self protection behaviors, high employee absenteeism and turnover

Effectively managing conflict is the key to minimizing harmful workplace conflict. When working with employees and teams we should adopt a collaborating style to effectively manage conflict. This style which could be described as high on assertiveness and high on cooperativeness will likely produce good conflict when managing conflict situations. Unfortunately many organizations have employees, supervisors, and managers that quickly adopt an avoiding style to managing conflict. When we avoid managing conflict the outcomes are typically bad or ugly. Here are three tips for managing workplace conflict:

1. Master the skill of emotional self-control
2. Do not shut down or out, stay involved
3. Listen carefully – attempt to gain understanding of both sides

Conflict is natural and is not always bad. Employees who approach and manage conflict properly will discover that less time is wasted on dealing with people issues and more time is spent being productive. Are you effective at managing workplace conflict?

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Effective Delegation: Planting Workplace Trees of Success!

Recently I posted a six part series on effective delegation. Often discussed in leadership, supervisory, and management circles as an elusive competency this six part series bundles together six steps to help you achieve effective delegation. Effective delegation has many benefits and may serve as a catalyst for the growth of aspiring leaders.

Effective delegation can be easily accomplished by utilizing the following six steps:

1. Give the whole task. When we give the whole task the person feels a sense of ownership and responsibility.
2. Clearly define the expectations. Effective delegation includes a clear and concise definition of the expectations.
3. Share and clarify the big picture. Employees who know and understand the mission of the organization will be better positioned to tackle projects, assignments, and day-to-day job duties.
4. Establish meaningful timelines and milestones. Delegation efforts that include the use of meaningful timelines and milestones also provide the opportunity to ensure accountability.
5. Establish metrics and measurements. Effective delegators will consider what is measurable and achievable; and what will be the most important to demonstrate in the future.
6. Give thanks and reward. Post delegation efforts and evaluation of the outcomes, we need to be sure we are giving appreciation to those who have made it a success.

Effective delegation will not only make you more efficient and effective it will serve as a catalyst for growth of those around you. We know that planting a tree requires great care, but once the roots are established and the tree starts to develop it isn’t long until it will stand tall amongst the others in the forest.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 6 of 6)

6. Give Thanks and Reward.

Morale is often of great concern for organizations. When we bring people together and form teams, pursue common goals, and share a vision – we want to maintain forward momentum. Post delegation efforts and evaluation of the outcomes, we need to be sure we are giving appreciation to those who have made it a success.

Appreciation and reward systems can quickly lead us into a very challenging and complex discussion. After all, who do we reward, when do we do it, and do we reward everyone or just the individual efforts? Indeed there are a lot of considerations.

Keeping it simple consider the following as part of an effective delegation process:

      1. People want to be appreciated – give thanks
      2. People want to succeed – show them they are doing it
      3. People like feeling motivated – give them a reason to reach for more

Effective delegation can not only make you a better leader, but it can feed starving workplace teams and grow a motivated and positive culture. Leading is not about doing it all, in part it is about trusting, caring, and delegating effectively. Delegation is an appropriate balance of the leader managing and maintaining projects, but also sharing the efforts, risks, and rewards. Effective delegation like most leadership performance criteria is a delicate balance of doing enough but not too much. Excessive delegation can be as damaging as under delegating. Team leaders, supervisors, and managers should self-assess on their delegation skills and confidently develop the right balance.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 5 of 6)

5. Establish Metrics and Measurements.

How do we know if the project or task has been successful? What are the metrics or measurements that we will use for comparison?

Similar to timelines and milestones the metrics should be established at the beginning of the project or assigned task. Metrics typically provide some accountability data. We often think in terms of how much, how many, and in what timeframe. However, what determines those thresholds? We need something to compare to, here are three possibilities:

      - Past performance
      - Benchmark data
      - Management expectations

Effective delegators will consider what is measurable and achievable; and what will be the most important to demonstrate in the future? Gathering some data on past performance, industry or sector benchmarks, and management expectations are all useful for comparison. Benchmark and past performance data tend to be objective and are highly recommended for inclusion in your evaluation toolbox. Often projects are evaluated based on management expectations alone which could be considered subjective in nature. As long as those (management) expectations are well communicated and reasonably achievable they can provide a viable and valuable comparison.

Metrics and measurement choices may vary considerably depending on the type of project or task, and its significance to the organization or performance contributions. Effective delegation will produce results, for those achieving those results remember to give thanks and reward!

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 4 of 6)

4. Establish Meaningful Timelines and Milestones.

Will the project or task be completed on time? Supervisors and direct reports alike often worry about meeting deadlines. The idea of establishing timelines and milestones at the start of any project is essential for effective delegation.

Delegation efforts that include the use of meaningful timelines and milestones also provide the opportunity to ensure accountability. Many workplace professionals struggle with the idea of accountability. They worry about how to monitor or establish accountably and how to respond in situations where the desired outcomes are less than expected. Effective delegation establishes opportunities up front to monitor progress and to provide feedback. Most employees want to be successful and by establishing the expectations and timelines up front project monitoring becomes part of the assignment.

Checking project status at predefined timelines and milestones is most effective when we have established metrics and measurements.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 3 of 6)

3. Share and clarify the big picture.

Employees should understand the big picture. In many workshops that I deliver I ask participants if they know the mission statement of their organization. Perhaps not surprising is that very few have any idea about the mission statement.

Knowing and understanding the mission statement gives employees a sense of purpose and helps solidify direction and desired outcomes during delegation efforts. Employees who know and understand the mission of the organization will be better positioned to tackle projects, assignments, and day-to-day job duties. When they encounter unexpected problems it reinforces the purpose giving them a better approach to problem solving.

During delegation efforts employees should be clear on the expected outcomes of a task or assignment and how this assignment aligns with the broader organization strategies. Throughout the course of a project it is beneficial to continually monitor the path and progress to be sure this alignment continues. An opportunity to monitor is presented when we establish meaningful timelines and milestones.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 2 of 6)

2. Have you clearly defined the expectations?

During delegation efforts do you clearly define the expectations? Employees may be unable to be successful and typically are not as motivated if they are unclear of the expectations for carrying out job tasks or duties.

Supervisors and managers may sometimes feel great disappointment and confusion about why delegated tasks fail to get completed in a timely, accurate, or otherwise appropriate manner. In some cases management is not delegating effectively. Effective delegation includes a clear and concise definition of the expectations. This problem can be amplified if the supervisor believes that they have been clear and concise but the employee who has received the assignment is still unclear. Perhaps worse yet if they believe they are clear but have interpreted the communication differently the results could be very unfavorable. Of course, we sometimes we call this – miscommunication.

Effective delegation must include clearly defined expectations. To help solidify the transfer of job tasks or duties consider these helpful hints:

   - Ask questions to ensure understanding
   - Ask for reflection back about the objectives of the project or task
   - Use effective listening approaches
   - Watch or monitor the work as the employee begins

Delegation represents one of the keys to leadership success. Leaders should always be sure to share and clarify the big picture.

6 Steps to Effective Delegation (Part 1 of 6)

1. Give the Whole Task

Supervisors and employees alike often cringe at the thought of the word - delegation. I believe it ranks second in leadership bingo to the word “change.” What is so difficult about delegation? Many would quickly reply that it has something to do with trust. Trust that it will be completed timely and without errors or problems, not only because it has to be, but also because the supervisor needs to feel confident that the employees are competent. Trust, accuracy, confidence, and competence - the point that I am making here is that there are many difficulties, many of them emotional in nature, that prevent otherwise great supervisors (read leaders) from being effective delegators.

The first and perhaps most important step in delegation is - giving the whole task. When we give the whole task the person feels a sense of ownership and responsibility. Once given (read delegated) that responsibility we have sent a message that says “I trust you to do this work.” In healthy organizations this motivates and energizes the employee. It then becomes the responsibility of the employee to fulfill the job duties. Lack of fulfilling their job duties would of course indicate that they are not a fully performing employee – they are something less.

How do we know if they are fully performing? Have you clearly defined the expectations?

Integrity vs. Loyalty

What is integrity? What is loyalty? How do you measure up with workplace integrity and loyalty? What are the differences?

First let me give my opinion about some of the differences. Integrity may represent feeling an obligation to perform in an ethical manner. Here are some examples of workplace integrity:

    * Good attendance record
    * Committed to assignments and duties
    * Performing the role of your job description
    * Practicing generally accepted principles
    * Willfully sharing information and ideas

Loyalty may mean that you stay committed to the culture, environment, and organization regardless of ethics, morals, or values and beliefs. Examples of workplace loyalty could include:

    * Supporting mission and objectives
    * Committed to using your workplace time wisely
    * Supporting decisions or changes
    * Appropriately following the “chain-of-command”
    * Promoting goodwill about the organization both on and off the job

Considering these differences what is your personal position on integrity and loyalty in the workplace? Perhaps more important is what “should” be your position? In the workplace we often walk a fine line with both integrity and loyalty. Do you struggle with integrity and loyalty in your workplace role or organization?

Visibility vs. Credibility

Many leaders contemplate how visible they are in the scope of their area of influence. Have you considered visibility as compared to credibility? Both visibility and credibility are recognized as forms of positive influence or power in leadership roles. Visibility results from behaviors that are physically visible, typically considered to be external attributes. Credibility on the other hand results from behaviors that give a person influence and are typically considered internal attributes.

As leaders the goal should be to master the art of being both seen and heard. Be both visible and credible. Successful leaders master behaviors that allow them to be both physically seen by others and have appropriate influence on others. Leaders who master the balance of visibility and credibility are trusted and believed in by others.

How visible and credible are you in the scope of your leadership role?

Pizza! A Customer Service Experience

Recently I called my favorite small town pizza shop and heard a pleasant but unfamiliar voice. The new young lady answering the telephone was trying to help me but was having difficulty talking to me since she was preoccupied with other conversations. Apparently she was waiting on a customer at the counter, answering a co-workers question, and also attempting to take my order. After three attempts to place my order I felt only marginally confident that my order would be correct.

Twenty-five minutes later I arrived at the pizza shop and was greeted by the new employee; standing beside her was the young lady that typically provides service. As I approached the counter she politely asked if she could help me and proceeded to get my pizza and enter it into the cash register. After a moment she looked at me and said “$19.07.” In response I quickly handed her a twenty dollar bill. Taking the bill from my hand she paused, looked at me and said “Do you have change or do you want me to count it out for you?” Stunned, I paused for a moment, smiled, and then replied with, “you can put the change in your tip jar.” Exchanging a glance with the other young lady I noticed a slight eye roll, then a smile, and a sincere “thank you.”

I walked away happy – I was very hungry.

Trust Matters

Many organizations suffer from trust issues. Trust requires time and effort to ensure its presence. While levels of trust vary from individual to individual trust in the workplace is often hard to obtain. Occasionally workplace teams express high levels of trust, but when asked individually about their levels of trust they are typically reporting less trust than they expressed in the group setting. Workplace trust is a big issue. Many organizations also report difficulties with communication efforts and often the root cause is mistrust among individuals and teams.

Consider the “3 C’s” of trust, they are: Credibility, Consistency, and managed Communications. If you are credible, consistent in your actions, and manage your communication effectively you are probably considered a trustworthy person in your workplace. Remember that trust takes time, make every effort to avoid careless, thoughtless, or misinterpreted acts and pay close attention to the “3 C’s.” If you get this part correct, you will make a big difference with your team – trust me.

Every Dog

In nearly every leadership workshop I deliver the discussion of integrity and honesty comes to the surface. At some point in their life many employees have had an experience of integrity and honesty violations. This sometimes stems from personal experiences off the job, or actual workplace scenarios that leave team members feeling undervalued, misused, and disregarded. This creates a very big problem with trust in the workplace and ultimately causes communication breakdown.

While we cannot necessarily control what others do, we can choose our own attitude. Attitudes are contagious and if we seek the positive in people and workplace teams we can help to make a good attitude a viral experience. By taking what we sometimes call the “high road approach” we can continue to give our best effort in even the most difficult situations. There is an age old idiom, “every dog has its day.” Stay true to yourself and reflect a positive attitude, you will make a difference in your organization.

Silence and Listening

Have you considered that we can listen to silence?

Recently many clients have had a strong interest in effective listening skills. A recent discussion point considered how we react, or listen to, silence. Consider the following:

* A comedian using silence when timing the punch line
* A speaker utilizing a long pause, causing the audience to listen for more
* A co-worker sitting quietly when asked for some verbal contribution

In fact, listening for silence in the workplace can have a significant impact on our communication efforts. Listening is not instinctive, it is considered to be a developed skill. As the famous cellular commercial makes a point:“Can you hear me now?”