A Comprehensive Guide to Listening in Servant Leadership

Listening is a crucial part of servant leadership, especially in project management that follows agile methodologies like PMI-ACP.

Why it is important: Listening forms the foundation of successful communication. It is pivotal for understanding team members' needs and concerns. It supports agile values like respect, collaboration, and openness. Effective listening can avert misunderstandings and promote trust within the team.
What it is: In a PMI-ACP context, listening is an active process where the leader pays attention to the team's views and concerns, assimilates the information, and acts based on the understanding gained. Listening isn't just about hearing words, but understanding the emotions, meaning, and intentions behind the spoken words.
How it works: Listening involves several steps: giving undivided attention to the speaker, understanding their perspective, acknowledging their input, clarifying any doubts or ambiguities, and then responding accordingly. Apart from verbal communication, it may also involve picking up non-verbal cues like body language or tone.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Listening: While answering questions on listening in the exam, emphasize on the importance of active engagement, empathetic understanding, effective interpretation, and clear responses. Response should highlight servant leader’s proactive action based on team members’ input. Do not neglect non-verbal cues. Your answer must confirm that listening empowers team members, fosters collaboration, and supports agile values.
Remember: Good listening is more about understanding than merely hearing; focus on emotions and intentions, not just words. Recognize its role in conflict resolution and decision-making as well.