Active listening means hearing what people actually understood, not merely repeating what you intended to say. In a startup, that check can reveal whether a pivot or strategy is clear. section 22.3.2
Make listening practical by:
- Looking beyond casual visibility; employees may not volunteer the full picture while you wander around. section 22.3.2
- Using trusted people across functional teams to report what colleagues are saying and whether the message is clear. section 22.3.2
- Creating easy opportunities for quick face-to-face conversation, including remote drop-ins through Google Meet and Slack. section 22.3.2
The pivot check
After a strategy pivot, leaders ask trusted people in different teams what employees think the change means and why it happened. Confusion signals that the message needs explaining again. section 22.3.2
