Steve Steinberg
The irony of our society is that our smartphones are listening to us but we’re not listening to ourselves.
Google and other search engines track our preferences. They follow our browsing history to ensure that online ads are tailored to our interests. Voice data is used in the same way.
Behavioral advertising builds a profile of our buying patterns based on internet activity. Companies use this data to target you with ads. Constantly.
Branding icon Marc Gobé describes this as the push/pull concept in marketing. Creating a dialogue with the consumer that brings emotion into the equation. Today’s successful branding strategies are more about mind and emotions share than market share.
We’re addicted to our cell phones. Real life listening puts the whole body to work. From reading subtle body language to voice intonation and feeling empathy. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before judging. Be present in the moment.
Getting to ”yes” in negotiations requires focusing on interests rather than positions. Generating options and soliciting a cross-section of ideas before reaching an agreement.
Companies are still grappling with the Work From Home/Work From Office balance. The decision for each firm must be based on the bottom line and corporate culture. Every company has its own unique persona. Listen to your employees. One thing is for certain. We are social animals that work best together, live, and in real-time.
Recently passed Grateful Dead bass player impresario Phil Lesh said this about the importance of listening in music improvisation: “Listen, listen, then listen some more. Listen to the whole flow. Charlie Mingus used to say focus in front of the music so you can see the relationship of all the parts to each other.”
Legendary architect co-founder of TRO Jung/Brannen Yu Sing Jung designed many great buildings in major cities throughout the world, including Boston. He had a big impact on those that were privileged to work with him. Jung would walk into a meeting with his humble manner and visionary ideas and start by listening. Listening to the client. Listening to his team. Openness with no ego. Then he’d add his thoughts. At the end of the meeting we shared a collective vision. He was a consummate collaborator who made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. It was empowering. It was his gift.
Endicott College’s theme for this academic year is Join the Conversation. It’s about listening, learning, and engaging with one another in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Sharing ideas, stories, and embracing the diverse perspectives that enrich our lives.
My friend and colleague Live Nation Senior Director, Head of Content Studio Kenny Rennard describes presenting marketing campaign concepts this way. “You pour your heart and soul into the ideas. You’re so proud. It’s right on strategy. Then a CMO might purely subjectively say ‘I don’t like it.’
“It’s back to the drawing board. You must have thick skin, be flexible, and most importantly listen to what they’re saying. Ingest it and figure out what it means. Get a dialogue going.”
The great Bill Russell and I once went one-on-one on my weekly Rutgers College radio sports talk show Timeout. I spent the entire night prior writing 100 basketball questions by nightlight in my dorm room.
He came into the studio five minutes before air. An imposing figure, dignified and gracious, dressed in a dashiki and sandals in February. I shook his hand.
“Mr. Russell, welcome,” I stammered. “Do you have any pre-requisites before we start?”
“Yes,” he said quietly but firmly. “No basketball questions.”
I took a deep breath and began to wing it. The conversation turned to civil rights and race relations. I learned a valuable life lesson that day. Listen and follow your lead. It was baptism by fire.
We can all benefit from a dose of cockeyed optimist Ted Lasso. He listens to his players and staff right down to the kit manager turned assistant coach.
I’m not an authority on marriage. However, after 45 happy years of wedlock, my keys to a successful relationship are simple: vive la difference and listen.
Making connections is critical to personal and professional growth. You never know where you will get your next business lead, referral, tip or trick. It could be from your neighbor or mailman, on the street or at Home Depot.
Listening is a lost art. It’s easy to lapse into tunnel vision. Everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard. We can all learn from each other in unexpected ways.
Steve Steinberg lives in Danvers and is an adjunct professor in Endicott College’s Gerrish School of Business Graduate Program. He is a frequent contributor to The Salem News.