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Talk Less, Listen More

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Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#11

Post by maroonblazer »

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #9
harrisonjackson wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Listen to your potential new client. Let them speak. Let them feel seen and heard. The post seems to be talking more about from a sales / client relationship development perspective. Your reply seems to be more about internal comms on a team.

No, the author is pretty clear. They take issue with verbiage they personally hear from younger people. Here is a quote from the article: > “ The first thing I tell them is to talk less and listen more. I don’t know if this is a generational thing or they’re just nervous to talk to me or what, but most of these conversations begin with me getting machine gunned to death with someone’s line of shit right out of the ga…

Literally, the rest of the article contradicts your assertion. He’s talking about client relationships, specifically in financial services.

As a counterpoint to your cynical take on internal comms, at 54 I’ve found that treating everyone as a “client” and erring on the side of listening vs talking has paid huge dividends professionally.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#12

Post by awillen »

I think it's brilliant advice to young people to not try to seem like an expert when they clearly aren't one. When you're dealing with people who are familiar with your subject, you can't fake it until you make it - you're 22 and they have a pretty good idea of how little a 22 year old is going to know.

The good news is that also means they have reasonable expectations of you - be helpful and thoughtful, and they'll appreciate it. Bullshit like you know everything, and they'll think you're a dumbass.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#13

Post by austincheney »

What I really enjoy are not just the people that are utterly incapable and uninterested in listening but those people who tell you what your opinions are. I extra love when they are somehow astonished that not everybody mindlessly falls into absolute agreement, perhaps as though not everybody concedes to their narcissism. This appears most evident as an entitlement thing from having followers without challenges to retain their position/status.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#14

Post by p1esk »

awillen wrote: post #12

I think it's brilliant advice to young people to not try to seem like an expert when they clearly aren't one. When you're dealing with people who are familiar with your subject, you can't fake it until you make it - you're 22 and they have a pretty good idea of how little a 22 year old is going to know. The good news is that also means they have reasonable expectations of you - be helpful and thoughtful, and they'll…

The caveat, of course, is there are 22 year olds who know your subject better than you. I met those, and I wished they talked more.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#15

Post by 0xFFFE »

p1esk wrote: post #14
awillen wrote: post #12

I think it's brilliant advice to young people to not try to seem like an expert when they clearly aren't one. When you're dealing with people who are familiar with your subject, you can't fake it until you make it - you're 22 and they have a pretty good idea of how little a 22 year old is going to know. The good news is that also means they have reasonable expectations of you - be helpful and thoughtful, and they'll…

The caveat, of course, is there are 22 year olds who know your subject better than you. I met those, and I wished they talked more.

It doesn't hurt to be humble, there is always someone who knows more.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#16

Post by jariel »

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

Pushing 45 now, having worked in a lot of industries, I say this is bad advice. Most people who want you to talk less and listen more are just trying to control you and in corporate landscapes, never ever assume anyone is trying to help you. I wasted a lot of years staying silent, reminding myself that other people know more than me. Actually, all the smart, competent people were the ones being quiet in the first pla…

There's some insight here but it's a separate subject entirely.

In most situations, you learn by listening.

The challenge not offered in the article is to 'get them talking' in the first place if they are not natural talkers.

Finally - your points are salient on some level, but absorbing corporate schtick is not what this is about. Also, it's too cynical. Corporate schtick is just another form of communication, it's less personal, less direct, but it's also not evil.

Young people need to communication, but they will benefit from your experience much more than the other way around.

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#18

Post by dragosmocrii »

I think it depends on the person, but for me it's the opposite. Many a times I've been told that I should speak more often because I have good insights. So apparently what I think of as trivial and not worthy of discussion, others find quite useful or captivating.

So I think the better advice would be to do both talking and listening in correct amounts, depending on the circumstances

Re: Talk Less, Listen More

#19

Post by asdffdsa »

awillen wrote: post #12

I think it's brilliant advice to young people to not try to seem like an expert when they clearly aren't one. When you're dealing with people who are familiar with your subject, you can't fake it until you make it - you're 22 and they have a pretty good idea of how little a 22 year old is going to know. The good news is that also means they have reasonable expectations of you - be helpful and thoughtful, and they'll…

The problem is companies/teams only want to hire 22 year old "experts". Try interviewing as a 22 year old and admitting you aren't one; your interviewers will think you're a dumbass.
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