Leading the Listening Organisation | Meet the Author
Who’s Listening? An Evening With Howard, Mike, and Kevin. Last Thursday, Internal Comms professionals in London gathered for another Meet the Author event with the co-authors of “Leading the Listening Organisation”: Dr. Kevin Ruck, Howard Krais, and Mike Pounsford. The book, published in December 2023, explores the importance of fostering a listening culture in businesses and highlights the potential consequences of senior leaders not recognizing the power of communication and listening to employees.
Insights from the Event
The evening began with the authors introducing themselves and engaging the audience with the question, “What makes someone a good listener?” Words like ‘compassion’, ’empathy’, and ‘openness’ resonated throughout the room, emphasizing values central to internal communications teams. The authors noted that these values should also be embraced by senior leaders and decision-makers. A case study activity on a company merger and poor staff retention rates followed, highlighting the importance of listening during business changes. The discussion evolved into the value of open communication, stressing the need for business leaders to welcome both negative and positive feedback and to create a safe space where employees feel truly heard.
Creating a Safe Space
The question “How do you create a safe space?” sparked a lively discussion. While most agreed that the C-Suite must be ‘visible’ and communicate with team managers, defining ‘visible’ in practice proved challenging. One participant suggested inviting external auditors to assist in ‘listening’, as a way to ensure that anonymized feedback remains truly anonymous.
Addressing the ‘Can of Worms’
A favorite topic of the evening was the metaphorical ‘can of worms’. Encouraging leaders to listen to employees often means addressing topics that may bring complexities or negativity. The authors emphasized the importance of communicating all feedback—good, bad, and ugly—and supporting leaders in reframing negative mindsets to address unfiltered employee thoughts and feelings.
Looking Forward
The event was a success, thanks to Hanover Communications and all attendees. We are excited to announce another Meet the Author event on Tuesday, 14th May, this time for Marketing Professionals. VMA GROUP’s Senior Marketing & Digital Consultant, Gabriel Charles, will welcome Attul Seghal. Spread the word within your Marketing and Comms teams—we hope to see more of you next week!
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