This cartoon makes me chuckle because it makes me think about all those companies that I go into where the CEO or President isn’t listening to anyone in the entire organization – and that’s to his detriment.

You have to have good communication up and down the line or you won’t know about the myriad ways that you could be improving your organization.

One of the first things I do when I go into a distressed company is reassure the employees that everything will be handled and that I will do my best to make sure they’re informed and taken care of as they deserve. It’s safe to say that many CEOs are not operating with this mentality.

The other thing I do is scour the organization for overlooked talent. I always need a new management team, and there are often great people on the inside with a profound understanding of the organization. If you are in upper management, utilize the talent beneath you. Listen to  people. Don’t overlook their suggestions.

One of the key markers of a successful company is that it’s a place that all employees are heard about their issues and thoughts. It is very demotivating to be an employee and to know that you aren’t being heard.

Today, listen to someone’s thoughts who you haven’t heard before and see what they can do for you.

What ideas have you gotten from people lower down in your organization?