Are you listening?

Corporate culture is an ecosystem defined by the people of an organization, their values, and behaviors. What we call corporate culture is the interaction of our individual values in the workplace, at scale, and over time. The values I hold personally – humility, family, Integrity – will always define how I do business, and I find it much easier to stay true to these values than try to “put on a mask” wherever I work. 

 Sometimes, though, we overemphasize the corporate culture at the expense of the personal. That can lead us to forget our most important skill as leaders: listening to others.

 As leaders, we absolutely must listen to those around us – our customers, our people, even our competitors. Our role and the success of our organizations often revolves around interpreting what someone needs and translating that to someone else who can potentially fill that need. Listening becomes even more critical when you consider the globalized and interconnected world we now live and work in, especially in Covid times – defined by vastly different cultures, backgrounds, and values operating together at close quarters.

 When we don’t listen, however, we end up automatically asserting our values over those of others. At the same time, we feel like those personal values are always under threat, and that we need to defend them continuously. You can post as many company values around the office as you like, but if people don’t feel like their personal values can thrive in this environment, your business can only last so long.

 Learning from tradition

After spending a fair part of my working life in Asia, I’ve noticed a common factor in different parts of the region: people tend to adopt what I might call an “honest approach” to business. Respect and relationship-building still play a primary role in how organizations operate, and loyalty – once earned – is rarely lost. Of course, every organization still experiences its internal politics and friction with customers. But in most cases, it’s the strength of relationships between teams and individuals that wins out.

 Those relationships are becoming even more vital, as they come under increased pressure from a digital world we now live in. Because of the work, I do in the tech industry, I get a front-row seat to just how quickly businesses are accelerating their digital transformation journey. 

By their very nature, increased digitalization accelerates the pace at which many organizations operate. That can easily create an environment where there seems to be little to no time for the relatively slow process of relationship-building. Yet those relationships, built on listening and empathy, are the best way by which any business can differentiate itself from others. You can’t automate relationships – and that’s why they’re more important than ever before.

 How can we, as leaders, relearn to listen? One way is to turn our attention towards other people actively. The more we automate the technical and mundane parts of our organization, the more time and attention we can invest in what really gives us purpose and fulfillment: understanding others’ situations, hearing their needs, and helping to meet them. 

 Another way is to make a conscious effort to leave our preferences and ego at the door – something I’ve seen many “transitional foreigners” forget to do when they arrive in places like Singapore and immediately impose their cultural context on how others work and communicate. The more attentive we are to others’ perspectives, the easier it is for our values to coexist and find common ground.

 All of us are human first, and professionals second – and as people, I would suggest our real purpose is to do good, whatever field or role we’re in. As leaders, doing good requires us to listen closely and continuously to those we serve: our customers, our people, and our partners. An increasingly automated and digitized world frees us up to live out our values and do good. It’s what we’re best at, and what no machine can ever do.