Continuous Listening Framework to Boost Org Performance

In a recent post, I posited that listening is THE most unknown, underrated, and underdeveloped skill we possess – 30 years of professional experience and observation tell me this is true. Because of the immense importance (and potential) that developing an active listening ability offers us, in this post, we build upon the statement above to inform how a company can quickly and effectively establish a continuous listening framework to help both individual and collective performance soar.

To set some context, why (active) listening matters in business is because when we do not listen (which, by the way, is ‘our default mode of operating’) it results in a litany of observable, pervasive, and well-known pathologies: poor decision making, ineffective resource allocation, staff friction, conflict, finger-pointing, wasted company resources, mass value leakage (of all kinds…), diminished marketplace competitiveness, inability to rapidly respond to the present, and customer needs and requirements get lost in the process.

Of course, this list could expand indefinitely as there is no shortage of waste in the modern enterprise. That said, what can we do NOW, today to turn the tide; to mitigate and eliminate such dysfunction? Well, the answer lies in part in establishing a continuous listening framework.

In my consulting travels, I have seen several examples of companies attempting to improve their staff’s (and the enterprise’s) collective listening abilities. What I have not seen, however, and hence the need for this post, is a company establishing a structured, multi- point, integrated continuous listening framework. Firstly, let’s get clear on what is a framework.

The clinical definition of framework is “a skeletal structure to support or enclose something else.” The ‘something else’, in this case being specific corporate listening tactics or strategies. So, if a framework is a template (of sorts) to contain or frame something else, let’s define what a continuous listening framework is composed of.

Across numerous client engagements, we have observed the following five (5) common elements that, together, should comprise any continuous listening strategy: 1) Performance dialogues 2) Sounding boards 3) Idea trees 4) Survey pulse checks, 5) Social chat(s). To begin with, performance dialogues are large- group dialogic-based events (e.g., World Café and/or Open Space Technology events) whereby a highly diverse group of people are brought together to explore a topic, idea, issue, problem, and/or emerging opportunity. Performance dialogues are great opportunities for an organization’s leadership to actively listen to many others on what to start, stop, and/or continue regarding the context at hand.

Another effective listening strategy is to establish ‘sounding boards’ to provide voice to and address an important corporate challenge or opportunity. Typically, such semi-permanent structures are characterized by groups of 15-50+ people of different levels, roles, experience levels, and areas (functions) across the business to ensure a diverse mix of perspectives and life experiences once again are represented. An example of a contemporary challenge such group might address is how to initiate an enterprise-wide Agile Transformation effort. Now, given the nature of the challenge will dictate whether those brought together to form the sounding board assemble for 1-week, 1-month, 6-months, or 1-year+.

Another novel technique companies’ are experimenting with is to establish ‘idea trees’ (aka ‘listening posts’) throughout the corporate office. These are typically standalone, kiosk-like structures that often pose a challenging question for staff to respond. Responses are typically captured on Post-It notes and affixed directly to the ‘tree’. This technique has gained favor in many companies as it is a low-cost, quick, and effective tactic to ‘listen’ to what the enterprise (broadly) has to say.

Next, are the tried and true corporate surveys to capture periodic feedback from your workforce. The advantage of surveys is scale, diversity of data collected (qualitative and quantitative), and speed of deployment. However, in isolation, surveys are limited in their effectiveness but when integrated into a broader continuous listening framework, such technique adds significant value.

Last, is use of/harvesting social chats within your company (e.g., Yammer, Microsoft Teams, etc.). Aside from the contemporary benefits of introducing social components into your operating model, performance-based social chat functionality provides great opportunity for a company’s leadership to better listen to what the company has to say.

In totality, the five (5) elements described above form an effective continuous listening framework. No individual element on its own will deliver full value the company needs, but in combination all such ‘listening posts’ create the conditions for a company to more effectively listen to its staff; to see what wants to emerge. And it is precisely from all this ‘listening’ that both individually and collectively a company can improve its performance; can “soar” to ever new heights. Now, “get busy listening…”

Related Reading

• Lead from the Emerging Future by Engaging Your Edges

• Strategic Listening: The Secret Sauce of Innovation

• Agile: A Social Technology for Our Times

Facing a complex change challenge in your organization? Book an OD consultation with Henosis Partners.