Building a better supply chain, one discussion at a time
Let’s practice the art of listening to one another, putting conversations at the core of innovation.
I did not post an edition last week, my first miss in over 150 weeks of continuous publishing. Please accept my apologies. I’m a bit distracted and somewhat overwhelmed at the moment, working through difficult times. I may write about my experiences in the future, but in the meantime, please consider this edition an attempt to keep up, share ideas, and ask for your help to get to the heart of a critical requirement for building a supply chain worthy of our times: the art of listening to one another and putting conversations at the core of innovation. This task is worth collaborating on, and your contribution is greatly appreciated.
Conversation starters
David Brooks has a new book coming, and once again, he aims to help cure what ails us in the digital age. As reported here, the book's thesis “is that while human relations are hard, the skills can be taught, and if people can improve their one-on-one interactions—in listening, in conversation, and in what Brooks calls the "close at hand"—it might have a compounding effect on society.” Hmmm. How To Know a Person isn’t available yet, but distributors seem to have a head start in understanding what it’s all about.
Distributors are community-centered, hyper-local businesses that work side-by-side with customers where business is done in the real world. Distributors add value to products, but more importantly, they create value for customers—by listening to their needs and aspirations and taking action to help customers better run their business.
Dirk Beveridge knows this, too, and his We Supply America series is dedicated to telling distributor stories of service and innovation. In his latest film, Beveridge explores COE Distributing’s guiding North Star, the idea that the company’s purpose is to help individuals grow, develop, and fulfill their potential—not just at work, but in their lives.
At COE, listening is an essential skill. Brooks knows this as well, and I’ve written about his recommendations, most recently in an earlier edition: Listen, engage, innovate. There, I discussed Brooks’ six tips for asking excellent questions, the most essential requirement for amazing conversations:
Treat attention as an on-off switch and not a dimmer. Have a conversation, or don't. Eliminate distractions. Don't think about getting the sale or solving a problem. Just talk.
Be a loud listener. Be animated. Show your humanity—not in a way that intimidates you, but that demonstrates you are listening and validating what is shared with you. Leave no doubt.
Make them authors, not witnesses. If asked to explain their story, customers will not go into detail. Ask for more information with questions like "where were you" or "what was happening?" Gather a narrative rich in granularity, and you will gain a better, deeper, and more actionable understanding.
Do the looping. Brooks says, "When somebody says something you're unclear about, try to paraphrase it back to them, you'll be amazed how often you are wrong." We tend to listen poorly, so we must restate, paraphrase, and clarify.
Keep the gem statement at the center. If there is a disagreement, emphasize something aspirational or foundational, which is an unquestioned agreement. Emphasize or stress a commitment to bettering communities, employee fulfillment or wellness, creating wealth, cleaning up the environment, and so on.
Don't fear the pause. Brooks explains, "The part of your brain that thinks of what it's going to say is the same part of the brain that does listening. Let the person finish and then pause. Show them you're listening, and then respond. So, don't fear the pause."
Radical collaboration
Here’s how you can collaborate. Listen to Beveridge’s conversation with COE Distributing here and read my editionabout Brooks’ earlier thoughts on listening. Please share your comments below, or if you prefer, reach out to me at mark.dancer@n4bi.com. Let’s see what we can accomplish together. I’ll write what I learn in an upcoming edition. And when Brooks’ new book is published, we can push further. Let’s think of it as a collaboration, radical because it challenges the conventional norms of writing a newsletter and pushes us to engage more deeply, authentically, and empathetically with one another.
I look forward to hearing from you!