Rob Kendall...

Over the last 15 years, I have asked thousands of managers and leaders what they do all day. In response, I hear accounts of endless meetings, emails and phone calls. What’s easily missed is that these are all forms of conversation. In fact, most managers say they spend 75% to 90% of their day engaged in the practice of speaking and listening. And yet, how well trained are we in this area? When I ask my teenage children whether they have ever had a lesson on conversation during their school education, they give me one of those blank looks that are reserved for parents who ask absurd questions.

How does this add up? We have all experienced teachers who have a string of qualifications next to their name but kill every ounce of educational passion in their young charges. And yet other teachers, who may be less technically qualified, spark a journey of exploration that will last a lifetime. Since school lessons are principally spent in conversation, the most successful teachers understand the ways of speaking and listening that allow children to feel listened to and encouraged, and which bring a subject to life. The same principles apply in a business context. A survey by the Corporate Leadership Council of 90,000 employees in 135 organisations worldwide concluded that managers have a disproportionate influence on the effectiveness of their staff and people’s desire to continue working with that organisation. And what are those managers doing for most of their day? Speaking and listening.