Most companies say they care about what their employees have to say, but not all of them take this sentiment seriously. When businesses listen to their employees, everyone benefits. Employees feel more valued, and as a result, they often end up contributing at higher levels.
Leonard Faniuel, a performance consultant at Insperity, says that when people feel comfortable speaking up and contributing, they will feel more invested in the quality and outcome of their work product, which ultimately improves the customer experience. However, listening to employees goes beyond merely welcoming suggestions. He says it involves employee voice, which is an all-encompassing phrase. It describes all the ways employees can contribute, influence and share their point of views as it relates to their jobs, decisions and overall culture.
Want to create the kind of environment where employee voice matters? Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, where we highlight suggestions from Faniuel.
1. Confirm yours is a speak-up, listen-up culture. Faniuel says cultures that are conducive to speaking up emphasize trust, respect, inclusion, innovation and tolerance for diverse viewpoints. To encourage employees to speak up — and continue to do so — make sure leaders are listening.
2. Set the tone. So, you want your team members to share what’s on their mind? Lead the way by sharing your own thoughts or challenging ideas in a constructive way. Your employees learn from you about what’s important, so model the behavior you want to see.
3. Share as much as you can. Transparency and collaboration matter. Faniuel recommends always looking for ways to collaborate with employees. The more they know, the more empowered they will feel and the more impactful their insight will be.
4. Chat regularly with your team. Employees have to trust their bosses if they’re going to speak up. Trust doesn’t happen overnight, so commit to meeting regularly with your employees to build that trust. This increases opportunities to model the speak-up, listen-up behaviors you want to cultivate, Faniuel says.
5. Make it easy to provide input. This could mean using surveys or conducing focus groups every few months, or even just reminding your team members that you have an open-door policy. Encourage them to bring ideas or questions to you at any time.
6. Let go of your ego. Make it clear through your words and actions that you’re not threatened by others challenging long-held company beliefs or practices and even your own opinions, Faniuel says. Successful leaders can’t have an ego and take professional disagreement personally.
7. Be respectful. You may not agree with everything you hear from your team members, but always remain respectful. If you react with criticism or judgment, you can undo all the progress you have made toward establishing a speak-up culture, Faniuel says. Thank employees for sharing their ideas or concerns and let them know you’ll think about what they said.
8. Follow up. This is the final step in creating a culture where employees regularly speak up. People deserve to know whether leaders plan to implement their ideas, adopt their ideas but with some changes or take no action at all. If you can’t adopt a suggestion, Faniuel says it’s important to tactfully explain why.
One of the best ways to show that you value your team members is to listen to them. By following the tips above, you can create the kind of culture where everyone feels comfortable speaking up.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Leonard Faniuel is a performance consultant at Insperity. He has extensive experience in process improvement, strategic planning and change management. Faniuel has a diverse background in education, organizational development, healthcare and business.
