I'm a CEO who called my 600-plus employees — and found out what we were getting wrong

Nicholas Svensson, CEO of Smart Technologies

Courtesy of Smart Technologies

• Smart Technologies CEO Nicholas Svensson calls employees worldwide to gather direct feedback.
• Employees have told him where they think management needs to shift direction.
• Svensson said calls with the company's 600-plus workers help him understand what messages are working.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nicholas Svensson, CEO of Smart Technologies. The company in Calgary...