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Three passive skills are important to senior management success, but they are very frequently neglected or ignored.
The first is listening. Most senior executives are great talkers and writers, but not always good listeners. They see communication as a one-way street, presenting their ideas and views to their direct reports. The best of them see the value of paying close attention to the ideas expressed by anyone and everyone within their company. Furthermore, they see value in listening to customers, suppliers and shareholders. Active listening can be improved, and there are programs and courses to help you be a better listener.
Observing is almost as important as listening. Best executives spend a significant portion of their time practicing “MBWA” (management by wandering around). This is accompanied by asking the right questions, constantly seeking opportunities to learn by observing what others are doing, both within their company and outside.
Sensing is the third neglected talent. Many decisions are intuitive, the best executives are those with the courage to experiment. Not all of the experiments will be successful, but the most progressive warehousing organizations are those that are willing to accept some risks of failure in return for the creativity that comes from recognizing the value of intuition.
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