ABSTRACT
This case reviews the ways that organisations listen to employees. It incorporates a survey and interviews with corporate communication managers and analysis of mini case studies of practice. Participants highlighted the importance of listening to employees for successful innovation, change, organisational learning, employee experience and employee wellbeing. Obstacles to listening are the way we define leadership, an under-investment in listening capability development, a fear of speaking out and a lack of structures and processes to support listening. Four different styles of listening are developed to illustrate varying approaches and capabilities: passive, active, sensitive and human. Finally, the implications for the role of the internal communication manager are reviewed, including taking responsibility for establishing robust processes and systems for listening to employees this is a natural corollary to keeping employees informed.
