Is it Time for Your Own Leadership Listening Tour?

We’ve all heard the phrase “listening tour.” It typically arises when something has gone awry in an organization or society. When one political party loses dramatically in an election, the party leadership will usually go on a “listening tour” to listen to constituents vent their frustration about the direction the party has gone in and why it has put everything on the “wrong track.” For companies, when a new product turns out to be a massive dud, corporate leaders will usually embark on their own “listening tour” to speak to consumers and experts about what went wrong and why no one thought it was worth investing their time or money into the new release.

Usually, the phrase “listening tour” is all about damage control. But why not be proactive? Why not, instead of using it as a means of fixing things, why not leverage this technique as a means to improve your association before everything goes haywire?

What does such a “proactive listening tour” look like? Associations Now talk about how while listening is a good step, the key to problem-solving and building trust is to use this feedback to take tangible action. It also tells leaders to be a “trampoline for ideas” – instead of simply absorbing feedback – use it as a launching off point towards a dialogue where a free exchange of ideas can occur that will translate into solutions that will drive the organization forward and create new processes and improvements that will better the lives of your members and other critical constituents.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy believes that engaged and listening leadership is crucial for effective coalition building at all levels of an organization. Getting buy-in from throughout the building and outside can eliminate any potential miscommunication that could lead to a critical misstep and potentially an error that could end up costing your chapter and its members in both the long and short term.

So, avoid going into damage control mode. Be proactive. Get a sense of what’s going on throughout your chapter and with its members. Be in a position to respond to challenges before they become a full-fledged problem.