Your Leadership Coach

The phrase for the week is "Listen Without Defending and Speak Without Offending" I remember the painful sting of my boss’s words in my first PR job.   “William (Bill) Pajaud said, “Cheryl, you’d get more done with less rework if you were a better listener.   And, you’d probably have fewer planning meetings if everyone in the room listened.   I left his office, determined to become a better listener and test his theory. These seven little words by Margaret Drake, I believe, are the foundation for any success I’ve enjoyed—“Listen without defending and speak without offending." Bill was right.   A good listener excels at all the basic human relations skills critical to success in all professions.   A misunderstanding can account for missed deadlines, projects that don’t match with expectations and other problems.   A good listener seeks out other points of view, thus showing respect for others and helps to facilitate open, honest communicati...