Any manager worth a hoot knows you have to be a good listener if you want to be a good leader, right?

But here’s a crucial distinction my friend and fellow communications consultant, David Grossman, offered recently in a podcast interview he did on Deliberate Directions:

“You can’t hear what people won’t say.”

He went on to explain that good listening isn’t enough. Great leaders also must ensure that the culture provides a climate where people feel safe to speak up and be heard. Otherwise, you’re not going to hear anything very substantive or challenging – maybe nothing at all.

There’s another plain and simple reason people won’t step up and say what's on their minds – they're busy doing their work. Fact is, you already have the solutions you need to get better. They’re just locked inside people fixed on doing their jobs who haven't been given the structure or the urging to offer anything more.

Here’s the bottom line: Unless you set up routine processes for the express purpose of hearing what people have to say about issues, concerns and ideas for making improvements in the way work is done, they will default to doing the day-to-day work they're expected to do.

They won't take a beat and come to their supervisors in the middle of the work day with issues and ideas. They will focus on doing their job – mainly because that's what they get paid to do and what their performance gets evaluated on.

If you want to “hear” the full measure and potential of what everyone on your team has to offer … Let’s talk!

Begin your improvement journey today!

Getting better at getting better.