The Last Word

Many leaders (and managers) want to have the last word. The tendency is to have the last word first. You have a meeting room with a leader and some subordinates, trying to brainstorm. The Leader/Manager tells everyone – I am open to your ideas and opinions…blah di blah di la.

One of the subordinates starts to speak, and mid-sentence, the Manager/Leader stops him and says, “I think we should…” – after all, if she has to have the last word, she might as well cut to the chase right away. Let everyone know that she is the boss and what she says is what matters. The buck stops here.

It does – and it will probably be her job, or profits on the line if she makes a wrong choice, but is that reason enough to avoid taking possibly valuable suggestions from your team and alienate them in the process?

Listening is a skill that needs to be developed, nurtured and used to the hilt. The point of having the last word is to listen to everyone’s opinion, evaluate the best option and then let everyone know what the ‘last word’ is. If you really want to have the last word, you better be the last one to speak !