The secret communication tool they don’t want you to know

ILLUSTRATION BY RUTH MACAPAGAL

Have you ever wondered what magic gene sets Fortune 500 CEOs apart from the rest? Or what makes self-made billionaires so effective that they can build empires in a single life while still having the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else?

As the “mentor of the giants,” as Fortune has called me, and as a “global management guru” (Bloomberg), I have had the opportunity to interact with some of the world’s leading CEOs and famous self-made billionaires. In my role as mentor, advisor and consultant to the presidents of some of the world’s largest companies, I have seen that they are, on average, not different from the rest of the world. They generally do not have some magic gene that makes them unique; nor do they have a secret superpower. Rarely do they have some exceptional talent only they possess.

So what is then it that sets them apart and makes up for their success? They think differently. They have a set of principles for analyzing reality. And they also have a set of tools that they apply to achieve maximum personal performance.

Are you a reader or listener?

One of these tools they apply is the fundamental knowledge if they are a “reader” or a “listener.” What does that mean for you and how can you use it to radically improve your productivity, professional performance and business success?

Peter Drucker, the management guru of the last century who has also been called the founder of modern management, first introduced the concept of the “reader” and “listener.” According to Peter Drucker’s findings, most people process information as readers or listeners.

Readers process information better through their eyes. Listeners process information better with their ears, whether it’s through lectures, discussions, podcasts and the like.

While reading and listening are the most valuable tools for collaborating, both approaches are equal. This distinction is simple but one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox of Fortune 500 CEOs and self-made billionaires. You need to know, first and foremost, what you are.

Most people miss countless learnings and business opportunities because they need to learn that simple distinction and, therefore, can never reach their full potential.

How do you learn best?

I have also been an MBA professor and lecturer since 2012, lecturing at some of the best business schools in the world. I once had a student who sat in class and listened attentively but never took any notes. When exam time started approaching, he came to me two days before and looked very concerned. “What is it?” I asked. “Well,” he said, “So many of my classmates took copious notes of your lectures, Professor Oliver, but I do not have any. I am a bit worried.”

“Is it not too late, two days before the final exam?” I asked him.

When exam day finally arrived, it turned out that he was one of the best. How was that possible? He was the extreme case of a listener who could remember almost anything he had heard. So he scored top grades in my class. But he was unaware that this distinction between “readers” and “listeners” existed, so he worried.

The board member who forgot it all

An extreme case of a reader comes from my personal client experience. I met with the human resources (HR) head of one of the largest banks in Asia and she laid out a shopping list for everything she wanted my company to do for their HR department: from training several thousand of their branch personnel to leadership training for their top management. She agreed that our training division and “Nothing Is Impossible” leadership institute, which I founded in 1999, was a perfect fit for all their needs.

We made plans about the next steps and all the practical solutions she wanted us to provide. After I left the meeting, I was in high spirits. Rarely had I had a meeting in my lifelong career where I was so “in sync” with a client right at the start. But then the unexpected happened. I forgot the one simple rule I always tell my team and clients to observe after every meeting: send a complete summary via email.

When I talked to her a few days later, she barely remembered anything from our meeting. And we had to start all over again. Why? Because she was the extreme case of a “reader.” She needed everything in writing to process and remember information correctly.

Practical steps you can take

First, you need to know what you are: a reader or a listener. It should become clear what that means for you as a business leader. Please do not make the mistake of thinking: I can do both. Of course, you can! Otherwise, you would not be where you are. But if someone put a gun to your head and said, “choose,” which one would you choose?

Armed with that knowledge, you should then take the following steps to optimize your performance like the famous CEOs or entrepreneurs I mentor.

Books: Choose between audiobooks or reading. I go through one audiobook a week because I am, as you would have guessed, a listener.

Notes: If you send “notes to self,” like important reminders or learnings, you need to do that in audio or written form to remember and apply them.

Attending meetings: The more of a “listener” you are, the more you will need to listen attentively rather than take notes. This does not mean you should never take any notes. But listening and asking questions will be more effective for you to understand the information and then make the best strategic decisions.

How to optimize your communication with others

People who work for you: If you are the CEO or business owner, they must accommodate you. What does that mean? Insist that they deliver essential information to you either verbally or in writing, depending on your nature. This includes presentations, how you want to be briefed and updated, and so on.

How to get information across to others: Here is where it becomes tricky. Of course, you want to be understood more than anything else as a leader. Whatever you say to others—and the directions you give—have to be clear and followed. You have two options. Ideally, you would know what each of the top people you interact with is like if they are readers or listeners. Explain it to them and ask them what they are like.

Find out from your coworkers how they learn. Once you know if your colleagues are readers or listeners, accommodate them. That means delivering information to them in the best format so you can ensure they understand you. Take the time to write concise memos to share updates or clarify issues if they are readers. Schedule time for fast verbal updates if they are listeners so you can articulate content and allow them to ask questions.

When dealing with people where it is impossible to get that information, like new business partners or clients, you need to do both: have excellent verbal conversations and send written summaries. You need to cover your back not to end up in the same situation I mentioned earlier, where I wasted a perfect meeting and had to start from scratch. INQ

Tom Oliver, a “global management guru” (Bloomberg), is the chair of The Tom Oliver Group, the trusted advisor and counselor to many of the world’s most influential family businesses, medium-sized enterprises, market leaders and global conglomerates. For more information and inquiries: www.TomOliverGroup.com or email

[email protected].