July 10, 2019
Leaders often fall into the trap of thinking they have all the answers: “I’m the one with the vision and I know what my people need. I don’t need to hear their opinions.”
Yet the fastest way to lose employees’ confidence and trust is to make them feel their opinions don’t matter. We all need to resist our egos.
Good leaders know that soliciting and listening to the opinions of employees can be a great way to gain honest insights and valuable new perspectives.
Always remember, communication is a two-way street. As leaders, it’s essential to nurture open lines of communication and dialogue, and actually listen to people’s ideas at every level of the organization.
A few key pointers:
- Stop talking
- Simply state: “I want to hear different perspectives on this”
- Purposefully solicit views from the quietest people in the room
- Listen with an open mind, not for what you want to hear
- Use multiple vehicles to solicit opinions—face-to-face meetings, focus groups, manager forums, emails, employee survey
- Listen for what people say and also watch for body language and non-verbal cues
How do you gather feedback and new ideas from employees?
—David Grossman
Click below to download—The Leader Differential: 5 Steps to Thrive—and get essential tips for connecting and communicating with employees to achieve measurable, meaningful growth. 
Tag(s):
Leadership Communication
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