Active listening is an adaptation skill because it reveals information that reports may miss: friction, risks, needs and alternatives. Listening is not waiting to reply; it is working to understand before evaluating.

During NexoLab's pilot, a user said “the new flow is slow.” The team asked at which step, with what case type and compared with what. The issue was not the whole system but one incorrectly configured mandatory field.

• ask open, specific questions;
• paraphrase what you understood;
• distinguish facts, impact and proposal;
• allow silence and clarification;
• agree on a next step and return with an answer.

The quality of listening is shown by what happens with the information received.

Mistake: responding defensively to criticism. Tip: first explore the other person's experience and evidence.

Mistake: recording comments without closing the loop. Tip: communicate whether you will act, why, or when it will be reviewed.

Ask a colleague to describe a current difficulty. Ask three open questions, summarise their point and propose a next step without immediately solving it.

“At which moment does it occur?”, “what impact does it have?” and “what have you tried?” can precede: “If I understand correctly, the blockage is...; shall we test this hypothesis tomorrow?”

Active listening turns reactions to change into useful data for decisions and improvement.