“Let’s go,” said Steve, one of the football beat writers, as he put on his jacket.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Yup, you’re coming with me. You can help keep stats.”
I was thrilled. Although I loved my job as sports intern at the local newspaper, it did get a little tedious having to man the phones and compile scores. I couldn’t wait to experience Friday Night Lights and watch a seasoned reporter in action.
I wasn’t disappointed.
As a kid growing up in northern New Jersey (just a half-hour from New York City), the idea of an entire town gathering to watch high school football on a cold night was downright foreign. But after seeing it firsthand, I was quickly hooked. (It didn’t hurt that I was watching two perennial playoff teams.)
So when the game was over and it was time for Steve to interview the coach, I eagerly followed, thinking I knew from my journalism school training what to expect.
I was dead wrong.
I watched in shock as he brazenly broke two of the rules that had been drilled into my head:
- Have your questions ready and fire away as soon as you get the chance.
- Never use a tape recorder. (Reporters are under strict deadlines, and it will take too much time to transcribe.)
Instead of approaching the coach with his pre-drafted questions, Steve started with more of an observation about the breakout game by a sophomore wide receiver. From there, he asked follow-up questions, tailoring them based on the coach’s response.
Huh.
And when I asked him about the recorder, he said something like this, “Yeah, I know it takes more time. But I can’t have a conversation with someone if I’m furiously scribbling down quotes.”
He wasn’t just doing an obligatory interview; he was having a conversation.
I took his words to heart, and mulled them over as I read his piece later that night, which was brilliant. And I took those words to heart again the following week when I watched him interview another coach. Once again, Steve kept his eyes on the coach — not his notebook — while he asked questions, and I could see the coach thinking carefully before answering.
Unlike the other reporters, who rattled off a few quick questions before scurrying back to the office, Steve was able to retain the coach’s attention and obtain keen insights.
Why? Because he listened.
I learned more that day than in years of communication classes, and yet, it’s a skill I’m still trying to hone: how to listen.
As it turns out, I’m not the only one. At last week’s CHIME Fall CIO Forum, collaboration was an ongoing theme, with many leaders touting the value of idea sharing (and even stealing), but I’d argue that in order to do that, you have to listen.
In one of the track sessions, Donna Roach and Tim Zoph discussed the findings of a study on the evolution of the CIO role, focusing on how the change is perceived by both CIOs and other leaders. In addition to a survey, the research consisted of one-on-one conversations between CIOs and CEOs that took a hard look at the gaps that exist in expectations, and what can be done to close them. And so although the survey data were interesting, what was truly compelling were the insights gleaned from those difficult conversations, according to Roach. Those discussions, she remarked, are enabling leaders to “open up a dialogue they never had.”
And the way to do that is not just by speaking openly and honestly, but also by listening to what others have to say.
When I sat down with Chuck Christian, CHIME Board of Trustees Chair, he said he believes the ability to listen is becoming an increasingly important skill for CIOs, particularly as the role continues to shift away from the server room and into the boardroom.
“It takes a little while to learn how to actively listen; to listen carefully about what they’re saying and what they’re not saying, rather than trying to formulate a response,” he stated in our interview.
In other words, ditch the prewritten questions, stop scribbling, look up, and listen. You might be surprised at what you learn.
MikeNTWD says
I think this could be applied to anyone in any profession nowadays, not just reporters. People get so wrapped up in their own heads (myself included) that they forget to just stop and listen to the people that they talk to.