Last night was an evening of contrasts. First, I watched the celebratory concert from the Royal Albert Hall in London, which honoured Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday. Then I turned to the special “BBC Question Time” programme discussing the results of the UK local elections held on Thursday. The birthday party was joyous and a testament to a remarkable man who has influenced and inspired millions of people worldwide. The political debate was frustrating, annoying and anger-inducing as the participants spent their time shouting and arguing. The difference between the two programmes could not have been starker.
One programme showed a man with immense influence, whom the world celebrates. The other revealed a bunch of people who want influence, yet few are bothered to praise.
The standout moment from Sir David Attenborough’s 70-year TV career is when he lay down among a group of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. They accepted him, touched him and played with him. But he also came face-to-face with a rhinoceros, went inside a termite mound and climbed into the forest canopy to play with gibbons. During the televised concert from the Albert Hall, some of his colleagues and friends spoke about these remarkable achievements. One thing stood out. When Sir David is with animals, he pays them full attention. He focuses on them in the moment. He is patient, listens to the animals, and tries his best to communicate with them in their own way.
Meanwhile, in the Question Time studio, there was no listening to one another. There was shouting over each other. There was no attention to what people were actually saying or how they were communicating. There was just a group of people, all keen to make their pre-planned points and crowd out everyone else’s voices. Juvenile and petty stuff that Sir David would have witnessed in young monkeys, I am sure.
When I started my first job and trained as a journalist, I recall my editor, Ted Adams, telling me that it was not the questions reporters asked that mattered. Rather, it was paying attention to the answers and listening closely to what people were saying. It is the same principle that Sir David Attenborough clearly uses in his engagement with the animal kingdom. However, it is not the territory of politicians, as judged from last night’s Question Time.
I suspect that you have witnessed a lack of listening and paying attention in your business meetings. I know that I have. People come along with their preset point of view, keen to get their “argument” across. This sets them up for anything from a minor skirmish to a larger battle. They sit impatiently, not really listening, waiting for the moment they can pounce and “prove” they are right and everyone else is wrong. It is not the Attenborough way, is it?
It turns out that when we behave more like Sir David does with animals, life improves. Recent research has shown that when counsellors are trained to listen effectively, it can significantly improve the outcomes of their work. Similarly, a study last year showed that when fundraisers engage in effective listening, they improve their relationship with major donors. It is the same kind of issue raised on The Sales Chat Show podcast, which explained that if you want to increase business revenue, “shut up and listen”.
One theme emerging from the political turmoil following Thursday’s local elections was clear from the questions asked by the Question Time audience. Many people felt that politicians were simply not listening.
Central to Sir David Attenborough’s remarkable work with animals over the past 70 years has been his focus on listening, even when he may not understand what the creatures are saying. We could all improve our business if we took on board his approach and listened more. Indeed, we may discover that being a good listener is one of the secrets to reaching 100 years. To help improve your listening skills, “You’re Not Listening” is an excellent book to start with. You will also find the resources and coaching available from one of my readers, Jane Adshead-Grant, The Listening Coach, invaluable. If you want to help celebrate the life of the inspiring Sir David Attenborough, you could do no worse than learn how to listen like him.
