""If you build it, they will come." In organizational life, this belief is more myth than reality. Companies can spend millions on new platforms and tools, only to see employees avoid them, create workarounds, or cling to legacy systems. Technology implementation fails when leaders overlook human needs. People don't use new systems simply because they exist; they use them when those systems help them achieve the work they care about most, reduce their anxieties, and fit into the realities of their teams."
"Listen and Build is a leadership approach that flips the usual sequence. Instead of building first and hoping people will follow, leaders listen first. They listen for priorities, signals, and context- and by doing so, they open the door to trust, influence, and lasting change. Listening for priorities means asking: Where do you lose the most time? What do current tools make harder? What outcomes are non-negotiable for your success?"
Technology projects often fail because leaders assume existence of tools guarantees adoption. Employees adopt systems that clearly help them achieve meaningful work, reduce anxiety, and fit team realities. Listening-first leadership gathers priorities, signals, and context to align initiatives with what employees value. Listening surfaces hidden barriers, builds trust, and increases influence for lasting change. Practical listening includes asking where time is lost, what tools make harder work, and which outcomes are non-negotiable. Aligning technology with these answers produces natural adoption, reduces workarounds, and prevents costly resistance that follows top-down implementations.
Read at Psychology Today
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