Listening to the Whispers
I’ve been talking a lot about change lately, mainly because I thrive on it and I’m desperately seeking change, but also because I’m curious as to the affects change has on leaders and those being led, and how the organization responds to change based on the types of leaders any particular organization does have.
Several things are obvious as I think through change:
(1) some folks just can’t handle it, even if its for the good
(2) other folks just ignore it, assuming that all change is temporary and this too will pass
(3) some limited number of folks aggressively embrace it (probably like me), knowing that change brings opportunity and opportunity brings experience and progression
(4) some are cautious about any change, with half being cautiously optimistic and the other half being cautiously pessimistic; both can be good for a change process, but both could also be destructive depending on who the individuals are, what roles they play in the organization, and how much they can influence the water cooler and the executive table with their overt and covert dialogue.
As leaders facilitating any form of change within an organization, it’s imperative that we listen for the whispers occurring that will tell us what our team members feel about, know about, and talk about regarding the changes underway or the changes to come. Those whispers can be incredibly hard to hear forcing us to develop numerous channels to achieve any level of legitimacy. But once those channels are mature, the whispers can be a wealth of organizational knowledge and understanding.
Here are some suggestions to open our ears to the whispers:
(1) go to where the whispers are – its rare that the whispers will be right outside our doors, because those that are whispering are typically not pacing those hallways; we find the whispers at the water cooler, at the admin desk, at break area, but rarely if ever on the executive floors
(2) listen with your ears, eyes, and hands – the words don’t often convey the real whispers; the way folks walk, the way they hold their heads, the way they shake hands or hug, or the way they get quiet when someone walks up who they don’t want to hear the conversation, all of those say something and convey a message from the whisper
(3) provide a non-threatening channel of communications for the organization – make it easy for folks to call, to walk in, to invite you out, or to send you a note with insight into the organization…that’s a direct line to the whisper
(4) get to know folks well beyond business – when we talk about family, when we talk about pressures of person finance, when we talk about the pursuit of the first home or buying that new car, then we take the conversation outside of business and to a personal level; once trust is built beyond business, the whispers get louder for some reason
(5) always validate the whisper with a trusted source – much of our time may be spent in better communicating what’s being done, but often times the whispers carry vital organizational dialogue about what needs to change in the change process, and many times, those whispers are right
The whispers in an organization are in essence a part of the organizational dialogue that occurs not in the main hallways but in the nooks and crannies. These whispers are a form of collaboration for those being impacted by any organizational decision, and I’m convinced that no one is truly isolated from the whispers. We all hear them, just some of us tune them out to the point that nothing is heard anymore.
One more thing before I end this posting – different types of leaders respond very differently to the whispers. Some will say, “well they don’t know what’s going on anyway, so its not important.” Others will say, “that’s just a way for folks to whine, so let’s allow them to whine and then let’s get everyone back to work”. And finally, a few will say, “I wonder what they’re thinking on the other floors, and I wonder if we can capture that and improve our plan?”
The latter is rare; the former and the middle are unfortunately way too frequent. Those whispering develop very sophisticated lines of communication as they sense futility or intransigence in the organizational leaders who should be listening to the whispers. Mastering the whispers is an art; very few do it well; even fewer can whisper back with great responses and great respect from those whispering.