One of the easiest traps for leaders to fall into is assuming they have all the answers. When companies grow, it becomes even easier for communication gaps to form between the leadership team and the rest of the company. That’s why Rockefeller Habit #5—Ongoing employee input is collected to identify obstacles and opportunities—is such a powerful and necessary discipline for healthy, scalable organizations.
Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up, argues that companies should have “a pulse on the organization” that comes from consistently listening to employees. This isn’t about annual surveys or one-time focus groups—it’s about building the systems and habits that make employee feedback a natural, recurring part of how the business operates. As Harnish puts it, the people doing the work are closest to the problems—and often the solutions too.
Whether it’s collecting feedback through regular one-on-ones, having Start/Stop/Keep conversations (What is something the company should Start doing, Stop doing, or Keep doing?), or team retrospectives, the goal is to create ongoing, open lines of communication. Sometimes we learn about inefficient processes that could be improved with a small tweak. Other times, we uncover big ideas for new opportunities that never would have surfaced without that input.
But this habit only works if there’s trust and action. Employees have to believe their voices are heard and that their input leads to real consideration—or better yet, real change. That requires discipline from leadership to listen, follow up, and close the loop.
Harnish emphasizes that the best companies not only seek input regularly—they also act on it quickly. “The faster you can gather and respond to employee feedback, the more agile and aligned your company becomes,” he writes.
In short, Rockefeller Habit #5 is about humility, consistency, and action. It’s about recognizing that the best insights often come from the people closest to the work—and building the habits that let those insights rise to the top.
