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read between the lines – a place where the real story is often dramatically different to what the casual listener might understand is being said ‘on the lines’. While what a speaker says can have several layers of meaning, how it is said can also be a giveaway to various subtexts. I have always found it hugely interesting to closely observe a speaker’s body language, facial expressions, the enunciation of certain words and all sorts of subtle innuendo, which can put a very different spin on what the words alone might convey. I remember vividly watching British Airways chairman Lord King responding to a TV interviewer on the so-called ‘Dirty Tricks’ case. When he asserted that no one on BA’s senior management team had sanctioned, or had any knowledge of, the unauthorised misdemeanours of his airline’s lower-level employees, the way he looked away from the camera as he said it made me seriously question the veracity of his statement.
    LISTENING DOESN’T GO UNNOTICED
    When you take the time and effort to improve your listening skills by growing that extra pair of ears, you will be pleasantly surprised by how much your people will appreciate the new you. It is a strange facet of the human condition but invariably when you engage in a thirty-minute dialogue with someone and manage the conversation in such a way that you get the other person to talk for twenty-five of the thirty minutes, the person who you allowed to do all the talking is highly likely to go away impressed by what a great conversationalist you are. If on the other hand you yourself had spoken for twenty-five of the thirty minutes, that same other party would most likely be thinking, ‘What a talker! I couldn’t get a word in edgeways.’
    Actively creating meaningful ad hoc or semi-formal opportunities to speak with rather than at your people, and then actually listening attentively to their responses, achieves some incredibly positive outcomes. In addition to what you’ll hear straight from the horse’s mouth that you’d never be able to find in a management status report, the fact that a senior person (you) cares enough about their opinions to actually ask for them – and then take the time and attention to listen to them – is of unbelievable value to all concerned. It may be hard to believe but I’d even submit that such an event contributes much more for most people’s morale than giving them a raise! Show me a company where such interactions are a comfortable feature of the daily routine and you’ll be looking at a company with a culture that works better than most – in every sense of the word.
    HOW VIRGIN VIEWS VIRGIN
    Our top company, Virgin Management, recently conducted a major piece of research throughout all the Virgin Group companies around the globe, the purpose of which was to try and gain a clearer understanding of how our people define leadership in the Virgin world. This was not some type of ‘360’ review session, but more of a wide-ranging, in-depth review of the leadership styles our people are experiencing presently and what they expect to see from their leaders going forward. To avoid any misunderstandings, I should make it very clear that this was not about me – it was focused on leadership at every level throughout the Virgin companies. By sheer coincidence the project was titled ‘The Virgin Way’.
    We believe that one of the key differences that makes Virgin such a special place to work is the fun and freedom of expression that results from the absence of employee handbooks that read like some kind of a corporate penal code. There are, of course, some people who require and enjoy the disciplines and order that stems from a highly regimented work environment, the kind of people who are governed by ‘the book’ and where the role of management is to enforce the rules and regularly throw the said (heavy) book at anyone who dares to deviate from the corporate dogma. Such people would not enjoy the Virgin