Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Karen Moscato, Chief Human Resources Officer at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. Tim Leman is taking the summer off from writing his weekly blog to spend time on an exciting project focused on culture and leadership. We hope you enjoy Karen’s wisdom and perspective.
Ah, fall is coming when you see pre-season football on TV. The anticipation is building for college football to begin. I just love the game and everything about it. There is so much pageantry, tailgates, and the half-time adjustments. Now I may have caught you saying, “What?” when you read ‘half-time adjustments’. But that part of the game is the most intriguing to me. What an advantage to stop a contest, talk about what your opponent is doing, and have the ability to change your tactics for a possible victory!
We all should make periodic half-time adjustments in the game of life. Taking the time to really step out for a short period of time, look at your life, and see what adjustments need to be made to live a victorious life. After all, we have only one life, so why not make some adjustments along the way?
I did that about a month ago. I had to step back and see where I was going in this game called life. I am winding down one career - looking at other opportunities. What adjustments do I need to make in order to transition smoothly? One area I felt was lacking was my listening skills. Lucky for me there was a day workshop by the author of the book, “Listening Pays”. I felt if I could make this adjustment it would certainly enhance my future success in whatever endeavors lie ahead.
I had six special people at work and in my personal life take an assessment to give me feedback prior to the workshop. Good thing I signed up for the workshop! I learned I had work to do! But as the instructor said when he passed out the feedback forms, these are gifts and should be accepted as so for your growth.
I can’t share a whole day’s workshop in one blog, but I do want to share four important points. They are: S I E R. Sense, Interpret, Evaluate, and Respond. This is the portal in which true listening begins.
- Sense: the message. Use all your senses to take in the message: hear it, see it, smell it, taste it. Recognize not only what people say, but how they say it, and show it.
- Interpret: Withhold judgment until your understanding is complete. Clarify your understanding of the message.
- Evaluate: Test the message against the evidence available. Probe with follow-up questions to deepen your understanding. Take time to discern, to be confident that you have intentionally evaluated.
- Respond: Will your response add value? Remember, it is respond not react.
What’s The Risk?
The risk is great if we don’t know how to listen. Relationships break down, employees leave companies hurt and broken, a country is fractured. Being listened to is so close to being loved, most people can’t tell the difference! They can tell when they are not listened to, as feelings of isolation and discord are brought to the surface.
What if we had listening as a skill in our job descriptions? What if Congress really practiced listening skills? What if married couples really practiced listening skills? Are you willing to take the risk of being the best listener? What a phenomenal gift it can bring to your life!
Blow the whistle and take a break to make that important half-time adjustment. Watch how your game of life improves!
This content was written and shared by guest blogger, Karen Moscato.
Karen Moscato is an experienced business partner at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union with an expertise in Human Resources. She began her career at NDFCU in 2003 as Vice President of Human Resources. With a change in CEO, she was moved into the position of Chief HR Officer with main responsibilities in Workforce Analytics and Talent Management and Acquisition. She also directs benefits, compensation and strategic planning with the executive team for business results.
Karen holds a Masters degree from Loyola University and BS and BA in Education and Organizational Management from Bethel College and Saint Francis University, Cum laude. She is a national member of SHRM and a member of the Michiana Chapter in South Bend, IN. Karen has delivered speaking engagements to various professional groups on Workforce Analytics.
