MSI Press Blog

  In Who Moved My Cheese? , Johnson (1998) describes employees keep returning to the place where the cheese used to be — the familiar, the safe, the predictable. They grieve the loss of what worked before. They wait for someone to put the cheese back. That’s where actionable listening comes in. Most managers practice active listening : they nod, they empathize, they take notes. But when the cheese has moved, empathy alone doesn’t help people find the new path. Actionable listening means hearing with the intent to act on what’s heard — to translate insight into change. When employees keep going back to the old cheese, leaders who employ actionable listening ask (formally through a reverse evaluation and informally through management by walking about or incidental conversations): Do you know where the cheese is now? Why do you keep going back to the old place? (Is it habit? Do you forget where the cheese is now? Do you not like where it is -- why? Do you feel unsafe in the new spa...

  We’ve all heard of active listening — the workplace darling of communication workshops. But the truth is, actionable listening deserves the crown. It’s rarely taught, but it’s the kind that actually changes things. 🟢 Actionable Listening The real gold standard. You don’t just hear — you co‑create. The listener and speaker decide together what change will happen, and both monitor it over time. It builds morale, trust, and a climate of shared accountability. It’s listening with sleeves rolled up. 🟣 Active Listening The taught gold standard. You nod, paraphrase, and empathize — but the conversation often ends with a warm fuzzy and no follow‑through. If change happens, it’s usually decided by the listener alone. ⚪ Pro Forma Listening You’re technically present but mentally elsewhere. You nod at the right times, but your brain is on lunch break. 🟠 Defensive Listening You’re listening to reload. Every sentence is ammunition for your next rebuttal. 🔵 Selective Listening You hear...

  Difficult people are rarely actually difficult . More often, they are the ones who care enough to speak up, who see what others overlook, and who refuse to quietly tolerate dysfunction. They are the early‑warning system of an organization — and if you listen to them with an actionable mindset, they often become your strongest allies. 🌱 Start with Actionable Listening Active listening is hearing. Actionable listening is responding. When a “difficult” employee raises concerns, treat their input as field intelligence. Listen with the intention to do something: Fix what is easy to fix — immediately. For the harder problems, ask them to suggest solutions. Even better: invite them to help build the fix. Make yourself accountable to them through servant leadership and reverse evaluations. This transforms the dynamic. They stop being “the complainer” and become a co‑architect of improvement. 🔧 Empower Them Through Servant Leadership Servant leadership flips the hierarchy: You serve t...

Some supervisors genuinely work hard to cr eate a healthy workplace. They care about their teams, they listen, they run surveys, they gather feedback, and they build plans to improve the climate. They revise those plans, adjust them, and try again. Their intentions are benevolent, their efforts sincere. And yet the organizational climate doesn't improve. What’s wrong? The problem is subtle but fundamental: they keep the problem‑solving power for themselves. Even the kindest, most well‑meaning supervisors often fall into the trap of believing that they must design the solutions. They listen, but they do not transfer ownership. They gather input, but they do not hand over agency. They remain the architects of change instead of enabling employees to build the change themselves. In doing so, they unintentionally create a climate where employees are heard but not empowered. Active Listening Isn’t Enough Active listening is a good start, but it is not transformational. It acknowledges f...