How willing are you to listen to your employees? Better yet, how willing are you to *hear* them? Take a tip from Yahoo, who not only encourages open communication with employees but built a blog just for them to have a voice.

Yodel Anecdotal was born in August 2006. It is a blogospheric home for topics like corporate culture, business management, user stories and trends. Even the name itself came from employees — from some 2,400 suggestions. What a great example of management actually *hearing* what employees want to talk about.

Maybe your company isn’t big enough to warrant a blog. Maybe a good, ol’ fashioned suggestion box will work just fine. However you make it happen, make it happen. Listen to what your co-workers and employees have to say. It makes for a healthier company environment and a happier staff — both of which make for better business.