The Accountant-May-June 2017

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PEN OFF questions effectively open your ears. It’s having a beginner’s mind-set walking into a conversation.” Be ready to learn from the other person: while you cannot control someone else’s listening habits, you can control your own, and that involves quieting down your mind.“Turn off those agendas,” says Gregersen. “Really listen to what someone else is trying to say. We need information that is disconfirming, not confirming. If we ever finish a conversation and have learned nothing surprising, we weren’t really listening.” Be ready to think about what is being said and be ready to ask questions: one of the simplest ways to be a better listener is to ask more questions than you give answers, says Gregersen. When you ask questions, you create a safe space for other people to give you an unvarnished truth.“Listening with real intent means I’m going to be open to being very wrong, and I’m comfortable with that in this conversation,” says Gregersen. “In a world that’s getting more polarized, being able to listen is critical to reducing unnecessary conflict at any level, within a team, organization, or on a broader political country level,” he says. Measure your talk/listen ratio: this may be taking things a little too far, but strive for a 2:1 ratio of listening to talking, says Eblin. “If you’re a note taker during meetings or conversations, try keeping track of how much you listen versus how much you talk,” he says. “Mark off a section of the paper and write down the names of all the people on the conference call. Whenever a person talks for more than a sentence or two, put a check mark by his or her name. That includes you, too. The visual representation of comparing listening to talking might hold some lessons for you.” A number of problems interfere with people’s ability to understand accurately what another person is trying to communicate, says Adam Goodman, director of the Center for Leadership at Northwestern University. “Am I anticipating what the other person is about to say? Do I agree or disagree with what’s being said? Maybe I’m agreeing too quickly and, upon reflection, I’d find myself disagreeing later?” he asks. “Put simply, there’s more opportunity to misunderstand then there is to actually understand.”Instead, implement a process called active listening. “It’s been Be ready to learn from the other person: while you cannot control someone else’s listening habits, you can control your own, and that involves quieting down your mind. - says Gregersen around for a long time, and works if done correctly,” says Goodman. The basic concept is repeating back to the speaker what you heard. If the speaker agrees that what you heard is what he or she intended to say, you can move on. If not, the speaker needs to reword their statement until the listener really does understand. Be ready to wait for the person to finish speaking before you start talking: the most difficult component of listening effectively is waiting for a period at the end of a sentence before formulating a reply, says Leslie Shore, author of ‘Listen to Succeed’.“When we begin working on a reply before the speaker is finished, we lose both the complete information being offered and an understanding of the kind of emotion present in the speaker’s delivery,” she writes in her book.This is dangerous, says Gregersen. “When I’m the most important thing in the world, that’s the moment when I’m most likely to be thinking about next thing I’m going to say instead of listening to you,” he says. “At the very core, that’s what going on; I’m declaring to the world I am more important than you. That’s an uncomfortable moment of self-awareness, and a self-serving way of approaching life.” We all require self-focus, but leaders who make a difference are the ones who know the purpose is bigger than themselves, says Gregersen. “When a leader is operating on the edge of what’s possible, they’re in strong listening mode,” he says. The Institute of Internal Auditors speaks of “comprehensive listening” - the listener is trying to take in everything the speaker is putting out: words, tone of voice, body language. Often, comprehensive listening cannot occur early on when meeting someone for the first time, because the listener does not yet know enough to take in all the material. “Critical listening” involves forming opinions about what is being said, making inferences and separating fact from opinion. “Relationship listening” is about getting to know the speaker instead of simply hearing the speaker’s words, understanding the person instead of understanding the message. This is the sort of listening that helps build rapport. The Institute of Internal Auditors advises you to know your listening style. The accountant should be able to apply a variety of listening styles depending on the situation: understanding the listening styles of others can help you deliver messages better.“People listeners” show concern for others’ feelings; they can exhibit empathy. “Action listeners” are focused on the actual words, especially the content that is action-oriented. “Content listeners” take their time digesting material, valuing information that is complex. As opposed to action listeners, content listeners will be more likely to take into account the opinion of the speaker. “Time listeners” are the watch-tappers; they value only the most basic and vital information. This is a style that would seem to have a negative effect on speakers, but time listeners tend to excel at time management and can keep speakers on task. Whatever your style, you will be a better accountant, and a better person, if you improve your listening skills. 72 MAY - JUNE 2017
33 rd ANNUAL SEMINAR Venue: Mombasa • Date: 23 rd - 26 th May 2017 Theme: Professionals as vanguards of public good; introspection from the accountancy profession The following topics and presentations have been lined up for the 33rd Annual Seminar • Economic Stewardship, the Score Card and the Role of Professionals • Seizing Opportunities and Confronting Challenges in Accountancy; Lessons and Experiences from the Indian Institute of Accountants (ICAI) • The Shifting Playground for Modern Day Accountants • Accountability, Transparency and the Rule of Law as Drivers for Inclusive Growth & Development • Boardroom Dynamics; the role of Board CPAs • Recent Changes and Developments in the Accountancy Profession Globally and impact on Kenya • Unlocking the SMEs potential; experiences and lessons of SMPs in Kenya • Leadership/ Motivation For more information or enquiries please call Tel: +254 (0) 20 2304226, 2304227 Mobile: +254 (0) 727 531006 / 0733856262 / 0721 469796/ 0721469169 Email: makokha.wanjala@icpak.com or visit www.icpak.com. For Exhibitions and Sponsorships, please get in touch with CPA Makokha Wanjala on the above lines or email.
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EDITORIAL Dear Reader, The matter o
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Financial reporting and assurance T
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Business Practice and Development I
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Economy THE IMPACT OF HYPERINFLATIO
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Management THE POWER OF PERSUASION
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MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDING THE RISK M
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