Listener

Jobber Group
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

How many of you have ever been told that you’re a good Listener? I bet there have been quite a few. If you’re like me, it was all the girls in college who you were madly in love with (every single one of them of course). But it never sounded like they were in love with you when they said these fateful words, “You’re such a great listener.”

Turns out, being a Listener is actually a great thing! The key to it is being authentic because it can:

  • build mutual trust and respect between you and the your co-worker;
  • increase productivity by giving team members the ability to talk through problems and have solutions arise from other team listeners;
  • help maintain composure, a cool head if you will, particularly when dealing with a crisis or sensitive issue;
  • boost confidence in the listener who, by virtue of being a good listener, is building better relationships which lends itself to building confidence;
  • lead to more accuracy because listening intently ensures less miscommunication and making mistakes.

Listeners are a crucial edition to any team and sometimes a key element of top performers in your organization.

Juno

In honor of my brand new cousin’s baby who arrived two days ago, this story is about Juno. Juno is an active Listener. Always has been, listening with that look of intent and curiosity ever since she was little.

While others on her team tend to panic when a client crisis erupts, Juno maintains her calm and begins the process of understanding what exactly happened. Today was one of those days.

One of the big clients of Juno’s company just called because no one has been able to access the SaaS solution offered by Juno’s company all morning. This is troublesome because that product essentially drives all business for this client. As Juno is about to leave for lunch, she notices the panic arising from the account management team. Because Juno is in product management, she is the go-between account managers, sales and the development team.

She quickly walks over to the account manager, but with not an air of panic visible, and asks what’s happening. This is where Listener Juno becomes critical. As the account manager details the issue, Juno responds with head nods and “mmm-hmmms” and strategic questions that not only acknowledge that she’s listening but prove that she’s working through solutions as the conversation continues.

This active listening has created a safe environment for the account manager to relay the problem without feeling embarrassed or guilty. Rather, it’s a team-building moment that gives both the chance to work together to come up with the best solution without getting into the weeds of who is at fault.

Ultimately, Juno and the account manager figure out the most probable cause and provide the development team the right information needed to fix the login issue. And the time it took to reach this solution would probably have been doubled without having a great Listener present.

Who on your team is a Listener? Take the time to observe and see the true value in having someone like Juno on your team, including the time saved in fixing issues when no one is just pointing fingers.

Elements by Jobber Group

The Elements of Personas told through stories of those who work around us

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Jobber Group

Written by

Elements by Jobber Group

The Elements of Personas told through stories of those who work around us

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