If you are, or have been, a parent of young children, you’ve probably used the term “put on your listening ears”. It’s good advice for people in business too!
Sometimes we fail to listen to our customers. When was the last time you asked your customers about their experience of your business? You can do this formally (via surveys and feedback forms) of informally (by chatting to them when you see them in person or communicate via email). It can be a daunting task! Most of us don’t really want to hear any negative feedback, but honestly, not knowing those negative experiences will be a lot more damaging that assuming ‘no news is good news’. You may find that customers slowly drift away with no explanation. But if you offer open channels to providing feedback, you might just find that that in itself speaks volumes about your business to your customers.
Sometimes we fail to listen to our bodies. When was the last time you took a decent break from work? How often do you work at night or on the weekends (if this is additional to your ‘usual’ hours)? Are you getting enough sleep – or getting restful sleep? Are you eating well? Whether we listen to them or not, our bodies generally tell us when things are not working at optimum. We make silly mistakes, we find it harder to concentrate, we get frequent headaches. If any of those scenarios describe you, take stock of what your body might be telling you.
And lastly, sometimes we fail to listen to the right people. If you have surrounded yourself with people who don’t believe in what you do, who have only negative things to say, then you are listening to the wrong people. Find like-minded people in business. Be careful who amongst your friends you share business ideas with, as they will view your passion through their own worldview lens. And most definitely listen to the voice inside that encouraged you in the first place to do what you’re doing – and continue to do it well.
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender