Supervisory Board members are per se good listeners, because they need to understand and consider the tasks and projects of a company. Reason enough to ask the members of Hager SE’s Supervisory Board what an open ear means to them.

Listening is…

From left to right: Antoine Raymond, Philip Hager, Günther Fleig, Evi Hager, Christian Buchel, Prof. Dr. Rainer Lorz

… above all, it means learning.

In negotiations, I find again and again that people tend to hear what they want to hear, rather than what is actually said. But each conversation is a precious opportunity to understand and pick up on the other person’s perspectives and vibrations, and to process these in a targeted manner.

Prof Rainer Lorz is a member of the Supervisory Board of Hager SE and advises family businesses on fundamental strategic and commercial issues.

… platinum, if you go by the old saying that speech is silver, silence is gold.

Listening is a dual discipline: hearing what is spoken and understanding what is said. I find it very enriching to listen to people who have been through hard times in life. Meeting Kerry Max Cook, an American wrongly sentenced to death who spent 20 years on death row before being set free, taught me that a change of perspective can transform an entire event, and a new point of view changes the picture fundamentally. That’s where the solution may lie. Listening always means learning as well.

Philip Hager is a member of the Supervisory Board and Financial Committee of Hager SE.

… the key to mutual understanding.

Good answers are found when, in addition to what is said, you also perceive and reflect on another person’s feelings with all your senses. Especially in tough collective bargaining negotiations, I have seen how important this second aspect is for a solution-oriented discussion guide and how, in the end, everyone contributes to the result. If you ignorantly act like a tough cookie, you won’t get good results for long.

Günther Fleig is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hager SE and a retired board member of Daimler AG. Among his other duties, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Franco-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Paris and Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco.

… a fundamental prerequisite condition for innovation.

Listening is not just with our ears, it is with our eyes too. Attentive watching is an essential part of listening for me. I often have to deal with start-ups; this experience has shown me that much of what is important can be overlooked if a person is too focused on them self. Listening first without judging is essential for both private individuals and companies.

Christian Buchel is a member of the Supervisory Board of Hager SE and, as the Chief Digital and International Officer of the French electricity grid operator ERDF, takes care of the Group’s digitisation.

… an active and strenuous activity.

Very few people can do it naturally yet everyone can learn how to do it. When we set up our family constitution in 2009, we realised how valuable the culture of good discussion is. When I let other people finish what they are saying and give them the opportunity to refute my views – that is a sign of respect. Unfortunately, the important nuances and shades of talking in person are today lost in rapid e-mail and SMS communication. If you take the time for the person you’re talking to, you benefit automatically.

Evi Hager is the Deputy Chairwoman of Hager SE, head of the Peter-and-Luise-Hager-Foundation and oversees Investor Relations work.

… to me inextricably linked with mindfulness.

If you are mindful of yourself and those who think differently, you have a great opportunity to learn something. This applies both at work and in your private life. For example, the closer I listen to my children, the more I understand their arguments and can accept their life choices. They, in turn, can achieve their full potential.

Antoine Raymond is a member of the Supervisory Board of Hager SE and President of ARaymond Network.