In terms of communication many leaders are excellent when it comes to writing. Others are highly effective when it comes to speaking. The third key communication skill is listening. Many struggle when it comes to listening. Why? Well often the reason is that unlike speaking and writing, most of us have never been taught how to listen effectively.

Many leaders spend the vast majority of their time well away from the front line so may only have a limited understanding of what is going on. When they go on walkabout and make unplanned visits to departments or teams, they get to hear about some of the worries and challenges that people have. Armed with these discoveries they can start to do something about those challenges.

As leader you know that complete information is a luxury and not something you have most of time. Yet by listening you can get a greater range of points of views and ideas which help you to take the best decision you can from the information you have.

People like to be appreciated and like to know that they are important. Let's face it we all like to be recognised. When people see you as someone who takes the time to listen to others contributions, you go up in their estimations and gain more respect.

You will discover things just by listening more and in reality, you will probably find out much more than you expected. People tend to say much more than they even anticipated they would themselves when they have the ear of someone senior in the organisation. They see it as a golden opportunity to get their issues on the table. For you as the leader you get below the surface on what is really going on in the business.

In organisations it is often those closest to the customer or product that are aware of the benefits and drawbacks. By listening, you can discover opportunities to make an existing product or service better or even uncover an opportunity for product or service expansion.

Bottom line- We might not be taught how to listen but as a leader, effective listening can play a huge part in your success. So what do you need to do more to leverage the benefits of listening?

By Julie-Ann Amos

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There are ways to minimize resentment, but why bother? Because most legal action and unpleasantness stems from dissatisfaction/resentment about the way things were handled - about how rather than what happened. Dismissal can be unfair because of the reason, or the way it was done, so you need to be extremely careful. In the law regarding employer-employee relationships, fairness is key. You must be fair, and be seen to be fair. But fairness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder - after being terminated, very few people have clear vision!

Prepare a disciplinary process/policy given to all, with a sequence of verbal then written warnings ending with dismissal. Ensure processes allow for discipline/termination on grounds of both performance (capability) and attitude (conduct). Specify your right to instantly dismiss someone (summary dismissal) for gross misconduct, and give guidance on what would constitute this.

Have hard evidence to back up all decisions. Documentation of poor conduct and/or capability is essential. You have to follow your own process to avoid legal unfairness. Negative appraisals/reviews make good evidence.

Never take decisions lightly - weak performance can sometimes be improved by skilled intervention/support. Termination is traumatic/demotivating for surviving staff, even when they understand why.

Avoid surprises by giving every opportunity for improvement before opting to terminate. This reduces grounds for legal action. Plus, survivors feel less threatened if they see you are fair. Employees who have been aware for some time there is a problem are usually less traumatised, and may already be looking elsewhere. Always avoid firing someone who has no idea its a possibility, except for summary dismissal.

Get legal advice if you have any questions. Balance £200-500 for advice against £50,000 max unfair dismissal compensation! Phone lawyers and ask for advice on dismissal - sometimes possible over the phone for a fee. Remember, sexual/racial discrimination compensation is unlimited, so always take legal advice if this might be alleged, whether or not it happened.

Plan your speech exactly and write out a script. It ensures you say everything necessary, and helps if you get stuck. There can be temptation to offer sympathetic/reassuring words to sweeten the message. Unfortunately, kindness here can cause confusion and lead to legal action. Have a witness present - never fire one-to-one.

Stay calm - never act in anger. Even summary dismissal can be done after an hour to prepare and calm down. If employees lash out verbally/physically, don't respond. Get it right, and this is the last time you will deal with them - they will no longer be your problem.

Be humane - treat people sympathetically if possible - without conveying anything positive about conduct/capability. They are losing their job and income. They are frightened, angry, upset, devastated - and you have to deal with it. Sympathize with their predicament without commenting on the cause. Being calm and softly spoken can negate trauma. It also decreases unpleasantness - it's harder to abuse someone who is being nice to you.

Recommended action:
· Have a policy, publicized to all staff, and signed for receipt by all.

· Have the policy legally checked by an expert.

· Always prepare.

· Remember the way you terminate someone can be legally unfair, even if the grounds are perfect.