Listen like you mean it!
The dos and don’ts for conducting listening activities with your people
When change is on the horizon, leaders and teams often turn to listening activities – surveys, focus groups, interviews – to gather feedback and hear directly from their people.
Here’s the thing: listening activities might seem like a simple way to get feedback and build trust, but when done poorly, that activity doesn’t just miss the mark, it can create mistrust and disengagement.
To help you make the most of your listening activities with your people, here’s a practical list of dos and don’ts to gather honest feedback, strengthen connections, and build trust.
Do be clear about your purpose and goals
Before you get started, define your goals. Be clear on why you’re asking for feedback – and share that context when you invite your people to participate.
>The takeaway: Clarity about what you’re doing and why leads to better answers and builds trust.
Don’t treat feedback as a check‑the‑box exercise
Only ask for feedback if you’re committed to acting on it. Whether it’s a survey, focus group, or interview, people need to see that you’ve listened and that their input leads to meaningful change.
>The takeaway: Asking for feedback without acting on what you’ve heard breaks down trust.
Do create a safe, inclusive environment
It might sound obvious, but creating space for honest, candid feedback takes time and intention. When developing your questions, ask yourself:
- How will you assure people there’s no penalty for being honest. And, how will you protect their privacy?
- How will you show you’re open to feedback without becoming defensive?
- Are you creating opportunities for all voices to be heard – not just the loudest ones? Will you need different platforms to make this happen?
>The takeaway: How you ask shapes the feedback you get.
Don’t ask too many questions and offer an incentive
We’re asked to complete a lot surveys – when we shop, when we consume a service, when we’re at work – so, people are kind of done with surveys. If you do decide that a survey is the right choice for your organization, keep it focused and worth the investment of time:
- Aim for no more than 10 questions (five is even better!)
- Balance multiple-choice or scaled questions with space for open-ended feedback
- Consider offering an incentive (multiple chances to win and gift cards valued above $100 are popular picks)
>The takeaway: Simple, thoughtful surveys, paired with meaningful incentives, drive higher participation.
Do the promo
You’ve defined your purpose, curated your questions, and lined up incentives. Now it’s time to get people engaged.
With so much competing for our attention, a one-and-done email or post won’t cut it. Like any campaign, you need a communication plan that helps people understand why it matters and what’s in it for them.
From there, you can keep the momentum going with a few well-timed reminders. Even with the best intentions, it’s easy for people to forget.
>The takeaway: Your communication plan deserves just as much thought as your strategy for building your listening activities.
Do tell your people you’ve heard them!
Once your people have shared their feedback, the conversation can’t stop there.
Even if you need time to review what you’ve heard and plan next steps, make sure to acknowledge your people’s input. Thank them, share a few early insights, and let them know that you’re working on an action plan to address their feedback.
Once you’ve shared results and your action plan, follow up. Ask for your people’s input on your plan and how you’ve addressed their feedback. Now you’ve come full circle to our first tip!
>The takeaway: Listening isn’t a one-time event – it’s an ongoing conversation.
Ready to start engaging your people?
Whether you need help refining your questions or full end-to-end support to strategize, craft, and deliver your listening activities, we’re here to help!
Visit our Communication Consulting page for more details.