The art of listening ... when nobody's talking !

I recently came across another spin on the same old topic of the art and importance of listening (5 Great Tips ... !). Often listed as a key character trait of great leaders, listening to the input from the team allows leaders to evaluate different views and to make the best decision for the organization. After all, you don’t really learn anything new by listening to yourself talking. A challenge in cultures and organizations where he who talks most (loudly) is considered as knowing what he is talking about.

But a concern I often hear in Asia, mainly from expatriate managers, is “I want my team’s input, I ask for their ideas or suggestions, but I am not getting anything …! They just tell me what they think I want to hear”. In other words, the leader is trying to listen but nobody is talking !

It’s a well described culture trait (coined as “power distance” in Hofstede’s culture studies, see www.geert-hofstede.com) that, in general, Asians do not easily provide their opinions, let alone challenge those of their leader or those in more senior positions in the organization, even if the leader explicitly asks for differing inputs. And although generalizations are always limiting, I have experienced this at different occasions in Asia.

So how do you listen when nobody’s talking ?

My recommendations based on the experience with teams in Asia:

-          Create trust first. Participating and contributing ideas is a normal part of the Western mindset of professional life. In Asia, this can only exist if there is a real relationship of trust. Trust is not created with a team, but with one individual at a time. And creating trust takes time, there’s no shortcut solution !

-        Develop one-on-one exchanges in addition to the team discussions. Most people in Asia will not easily speak up when they are in a group, and for sure not if they have an opinion that is different from the majority. The fear of “losing face” makes for people to prefer to stay quietly to themselves. In a one-on-one exchange, where trust has been created, people will easily contribute their ideas.

-        Don’t kill ideas. This is an obvious one, but if the leader criticizes ideas that have been volunteered, those who spoke up will quickly stop contributing. Look for the positive element, however small it is, in each suggestion, and build on that. And if criticism is appropriate, do it in a one-on-one situation.

So next time you try to listen but are not getting the suggestions you are expecting from your team, ask yourself what steps you have taken to create the fertile ground for this exchange.