Taking an analogous page from Episode 86 of Seinfeld called, The Opposite, “If all talk and no action is bad for business, then doing the opposite by effectively listening and deliberately acting is good for business!”
To transform this idea into action, begin by listening your employees, identifying how they feel about the company and what better looks like…
What is effectively listening?
Start by identifying the right questions to ask. The list of “what’s important to know from employees” is yours to make but below are a few ideas to get started: (1) Does the employee like working for your company? (2) Do they share and embody your company’s core values? (3) Are employee expectations clear? (4) Do they understand the role they play on the company team? (5) Do they feel valued? Why or why not? (6) Are business processes sound and easy to implement? (7) Do they have ideas for improving processes that aren’t being implemented because nobody asked for their input? (8) What else can be done better? After identifying a comprehensive list of questions, implement a process to ensure that all employees’ voices are heard. Once you’ve effectively listened, then it is time to deliberately act.
What is deliberately acting?
Let’s assume that the way you choose to gather this information is through anonymous survey. Start by gathering all information and reviewing the results. Questions with high scores provide feedback on what the company (and your leadership) is doing right. Questions with low scores identify areas for improvement. Embrace the opportunities to improve because they are the source of your future #Wins!
Periodic and regular team meetings provide the venue for having open discussions, brainstorming sessions to explore possibilities and action plans with personal accountability to transform areas of organizational weakness into areas of strength and competitive advantage.
Employees today want the ability to positively impact the company they work for. On a regular basis, provide the venue, encourage open dialogue and most importantly act based on what the team says they want. Think of team meetings like batting practice. Even professional baseball players need regular batting practice with instruction in order to stay on top of their game and help the team succeed!
I encourage you to empower your team so they own the experience of getting work done and supporting each other. #IncreasingComittmentToTeam! #ReducingEmployeeTurnover!