Dear Valued Customer,

“Hello – Are You Really Paying Attention?”

According to a survey reported in USA TODAY earlier this year, only 38 percent of working men and women feel their managers are willing to listen to new ideas and suggestions for improvements.

As a leader of a business, I’m sure that you have surrounded yourself with good people. However, do you really pay attention to what your people have to say? Ask yourself these questions:

Am I allowing my team to shine?

Am I allowing their creative juices to flow?

Am I really paying attention and reacting to their wants and needs?

Do I seek ways to help my team succeed?

Have I ever asked them what our competition does better than us?

At Northeastern, we routinely hold meetings with our team and we specifically ask questions like these.

Could this approach work for you and your company? Give some thought to what you can do to open up communication with your team. And don’t be surprised if you find that your company performs to a higher level as a result.