That’s the Way I’ve Always Done It!

Have you ever caught yourself saying…”well, that’s the way I’ve always done it?”

You’re not alone – it’s something that comes out of every adult’s mouth at least once in their lifetime, right?

You do it the same way, because it works – it doesn’t feel broken, and you probably get middle-of-the-road results. 

But, don’t you want good results? 

Wait…don’t you want great results?

Managing and leading people is one of those areas where you should strive for great results. It’s where you never stop learning and it’s essential in being a leader that people want to follow…someone they want to work with.

There are two areas where you can get great results with your team – listening and communicating.

When you employ better listening and communication skills with your team, you will see a marked improvement in how your team works with you as a manager.

You’re probably saying, ‘I know how to listen…and I certainly know how to communicate.’ But do you? Or are you relying on the same methods you’ve always used? 

You might think that how you listen and communicate is a ‘one-time’ learned skill. Once you know how to do it, you never have to improve upon it. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Improving your listening and communication skills is a life-long learning opportunity. The way you communicate in your 20’s should be vastly different than how you communicate in your 50’s. 

Why? 

Because, you should continue to find better ways to actively listen to the people talking to you.

And…you should fine-tune how you communicate with people to get the best results.

Just because you have ears and a mouth doesn’t mean you are an expert at listening and communicating. You’ve been given the tools to be an expert, but you have to dig deeper to continue to use those tools in ways that help you and your team succeed.