Never underestimate the value of listening

I rarely talk specifically about work other than campaigns I may be running for clients or bigger picture stuff. But this post is about the past two years of the management experience I've had and the value of listening. 

Most of my staff are young, 20s types. Hard working, love to pal around, ask tons of questions, want to learn as much as they possibly can and are extremely opinionated. Some see the last attribute as the single point of debate around millennials. 

Regardless of what that actually means, the best attribute you can have as a manager -- regardless if you're managing millennials, Gen-x-ers or those older than you -- is the ability to listen.  

Having an open dialogue with your staff, giving them the opportunity to speak their mind and provide constructive criticism is invaluable. Working collaboratively to fix issues and improve the overall way you conduct business will only help make things better in the long run. So, while I may be old school and think there is too much debate in these and similar workplace issues, the core to success as a manager is listening.  

This week, I needed a reminder of that and I'm excited about taking words into action.