Nothing feels more heard than being ignored with enthusiasm.
John raised a concern.
Calmly. With data.
The Boss nodded slowly, the deep nod reserved for inconvenient facts.
The Diplomat nodded with warmth.
The Strategist nodded as they opened a new slide titled Future Considerations.
The room nodded. The concern remained.
The Communicator captured it as valuable input.
The Optimizer logged it as stakeholder engagement completed.
The Fixer proposed a follow-up session.
It was to explore what had already been understood and dismissed.
Nothing changed.
The New Joiner mistook nods for agreement. Raised the issue again three weeks later.
The Survivor recognized the gesture and stopped speaking.
The Burnt-Out Star didn’t look up, experience had taught this lesson years ago.
The New Joiner eventually learned: Listening performance is an indication of mature organizations.
Understanding is optional.
Action arrives only after the topic expires.
From the Footnote Archives:
- Listening praised in leadership updates: 27 instances
- Follow-ups scheduled to demonstrate care: 14
- Decisions resulting from those conversations: 0
Johnny recorded with concern:
Listening is easy when it carries no intention to act.
Johnny’s Footnotes is a satirical instrument, infused with humour, for understanding organisational dysfunction, grounded in The Anatomy of Nonsense, also known as the Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit, finally documented so you no longer have to pretend it isn’t happening.
Meet John’s Colleagues. They are here (& almost everywhere).
Disclaimer: The Footnote is a satire — an observation, not an accusation. If it feels uncomfortably accurate, that’s just coincidence. You’re simply not important enough to be targeted.
Follow the Genesis of the Laws
