Project Management Tips

Listening to the Committee, continued...

How to manage projects through committees

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It all starts with good listening, and yes, there's a big different between listening the right way and listening the usual way. Good listening is about two important actions. The first is making people feel like you have truly heard what they are saying. When someone offers an idea, reflect the idea back to them. Repeat what they've said based on the content of the communication. If they are sending you an intellectual idea, reflect the content in an intellectual manner. If the concept has emotional content, reflect back the emotional aspects. Hearing someone means being sensitive to what they are saying, and then letting them know that you've heard them. For example, in the case where an employee is frustrated because of too much work on the nightshift, respond to her and say, "Thank you Mary. So you are saying that we need more employees in the nightshift because there is just too much work. I really hear what you are saying. I see that it is a very frustrating situation." Notice that in the example, the idea is reflected back to the employee (too much work), and then the real underlying emotional concept is reflected as well (the frustration).

The second, and most important part of listening, is making people feel like they matter. When you listen to someone and reflect back their content, also let them know that what they are telling you really matters. So in our example, after we have reflected back the content of the idea and the emotion, we would add a final statement, "Mary, let me see what we can do about it, because I really want everyone to be happy." Making people feel like they make a difference does not mean that you can or will do everything suggested. What it does mean is that they will come away from the encounter feeling like they were truly heard, and that they matter in the larger picture. This type of listening is essential to more successful political interaction, because the participants of your meetings will leave feeling good about their role and contribution to the project at hand. Even if you do not necessarily follow their advice, they will feel like they were heard, and the difference will be dramatic.

Good listening techniques are just the start to easing committee work, but without them, your committees will surely falter.



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