Somehow conversations about return on investment all too often focus on the financial bottom line without considering all the (sometimes elusive) pieces which are part of the equation. Yes it is always a good thing to see positive numbers in the net income column, but there is more to success then that final number.  Every stockholder loves to hear about increased revenue and a bottom line growth. But there is so much more that goes into generating consistent results then the obvious two catchalls: working harder and spending less.  In the long run, it is just as important to make a difference.  Yes, a business needs to make money to exist, but I would suggest that a business also needs to matter.  You need to create value or you will not last.  You need to generate value for your customers and value for your employees.

Every business needs to find their sweet spot; the place where the right people are doing the right things and getting the right results.  OF course it isn’t the “what” which is a mystery so much as it is the “how”.  How do we find and/or develop the right people?  How do we know what constitutes the right thing to be doing right now whether that relates to product development, product delivery and service or any of the other components of a thriving business? How can we be sure that we are making a difference both for our customers and for those individuals who make the parts all come together?

Well, you could ask them.  You can ask your customers what they need and what they want.  You can listen to the people interacting with your customers every day because they know a great deal about how your products and your customers interact.  You can give your staff the tools and the freedom to create value and give meaning to what they do and how they serve.  Most people, when given the right tools and a sense of engagement in what they are doing will give you results because they are receiving value and meaning.  That is real ROI.

Hearing and listen are not the same thing, no matter how much we wish they were.  We hear a lot; from specific conversations to stray words in someone else’s conversation across the room, to background noise.  At any time our attention can flit from sound to word, to sentence to internal thought and back again.  We hear so much and at the same time we listen to so very little.

When is the last time you intentionally and successfully focused only on what one person was saying directly to you without being distracted?  What can you do to be more attentive?  The answer is simple and at the same time difficult: you have to practice just listening.

Here are some suggestions for making sure you are really listening:

Watch the person’s face, particularly their eyes.  Listen for vocal inflections and name what you are seeing and hearing.  Rather then responding, reflect back what you are noticing until you receive confirmation that you have complete understanding of the full content that was shared.

Finally, be gentle with yourself and with others.  No one is consistently a good listener.  Furthermore, the more emotionally charged a situation is the more challenging good listening becomes.  So cut yourself some slack and keep practicing.  And don’t expect anyone to be perfect at it all the time.

Statistics prove that it is more cost effective to keep and train existing staff then to invest the time and money finding a replacement.  In addition to the costs of training and development, there is are also the costs of recruitment, not to mention that possibility that the replacement might also leave if their expectations of the position are not met.  All this means that the successful, competitive business is one which takes care of and develops its people.

Self Awareness, one of the foundational elements of E.I. is critical to a person’s sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, as well as their ability to respond to stress, manage conflict and maintain focus.  Individuals who demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence are more successful in business and in life. They work well on teams and in leadership roles, as they have cultivated the ability to sense other people’s hard and soft skills and work with others toward common goals effectively.  

Improving emotional intelligence can be as simple as adding meditation or journaling to your daily routine, noticing your environment or listening with a purpose, or developing better communication skills.  Want to learn more?  Look for our next blog on E.I.