Despite the statistics, any organization can be sustained. How? By imagining the smallest step with the biggest payoff, and then choosing that one step. This primer helps you imagine ways to free everybody in your organization to do just that, by making it everybody’s business to know and grow the enterprise.

Industrial and organizational psychologist Dr. Marta Wilson and her team of experts show how leaders in small businesses, large corporations, government agencies, and military organizations have found their best options by asking this recurring question: What is the smallest step with the biggest return? Wilson believes in the power of asking questions and listening—to customers, employees, suppliers, investors, influencers—as the best way to improve products or services. As the head of your organization, you must initiate dialogue to uncover ideas from each stakeholder’s unique vantage point. The short “Ask Yourself” section in each chapter will jump-start your application of the dialogue tools she provides.

Through stories and interviews, Everybody’s Business delivers a big idea to help you usher in maximum workplace productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness—all of which will result in long-term growth.