#2: Attunement

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Are you familiar with the old saying, “Communication takes two: one to speak and one to listen”? Seems like a lot of us forget about the listening part. Running a business can be overwhelming and it can be tempting to stop listening in favor of simply reacting, especially during time-crunched situations. Don’t give in to that temptation. Good leaders care about what others think and feel. From our clients, business partners and employees to colleagues and even vendors, paying attention to others is how we stay in touch with trends, make sure we’re meeting expectations and keeping everyone in our network connected with us in meaningful ways.

At Intertech, we have processes in place to make sure we are listening on a regular basis. Employees know our open door policy is real, but they also have an opportunity to anonymously tell us how they feel every year as part of our annual partner goal-setting retreat. Prior to the retreat, employees gather in small groups led by another employee who acts as a facilitator. There they talk candidly about their ideas, concerns, beefs , etc. The facilitator then recaps the feedback without attributing any information to any specific person. That feedback is carefully considered when I meet with the other Intertech partners at our annual planning retreat. We care about what Intertech team members think, how they feel and their ideas for making our business better.

Next post: Organizational awareness