Manage This - The Project Management Podcast Episode 232 – Before You Speak: Why Better Listening Changes Everything
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Sep 2, 2025 Stanford Slovin, an author and wealth management expert, emphasizes the transformative power of listening in leadership and personal connections. He shares insights from his research, revealing how poor listening leads to client attrition and suggests a simple process: Pause, Reflect, Clarify, and Empathize. Slovin addresses common barriers to effective listening, such as multitasking, and provides strategies to foster empathy in the workplace. Open-ended questions and recognizing signs of distraction can greatly improve communication and engagement.
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Wake-Up Moment With A Client
- Stanford Slovin discovered early in wealth management that advisors often talked at clients instead of understanding them.
- A client once told him, "you're not really hearing what's important to us," which changed his approach.
Listening Trumps Performance For Retention
- The top reason high-net-worth clients leave advisors is not performance but feeling unheard.
- Listening builds trust and retention more than technical competence alone.
Pause, Reflect, Clarify, Then Empathize
- Pause, reflect, then clarify before responding to anyone on your team or project.
- Add empathy after clarifying to deepen understanding and improve your response.
