Santa gets it.

Sometimes our families and friends get it.

It’s brilliant in its simplicity, really.

They ask people what they want. They engage other humans in an attempt to better understand them and know what makes them tick.

As managers and leaders, why don’t we do that more? Why do we often hesitate to involve our employees in conversations about the organization and its future? Sure, it gets messy. And sure, there will be awkward moments. And of course, you’re going to hear some crazy ideas.

But instead of guessing, speculating, hypothesizing, and occasionally pontificating about what employees want or need, why not just ask them? Start conversations. And then listen.