Listening is a real skill.

Throughout your entrepreneurial and innovative journey the ability to listen and no when to not 'pitch' is a key skill.

• Within the sales function it is the taking time to understand your potential clients needs, wants and desires that will allows the maximum value to be created. You need to let them talk.
• In product and idea generation its often the ability to take on the maximum input from your team that provides the best answers and best solutions to product development opportunities.
• Your interactions with employees and suppliers will be enriched by taking some time to understand their motivations and consciously listen to their motives and drive in supporting your ventures.

The diagram below offers a framework to think about your own skills that was put together at Harvard business school.

Do you think you are mature in the way you interact with people and develop your organisation and its impact?