Want to change your culture? Talk less and listen more.

According to Gallup’s recent State of the American Workplace report, only 13% of American workers strongly agree that their company leadership communicates effectively.  But before you run off to schedule more presentations and encourage executive leaders to dispense more frequent reports and emails, lets look at what “communication” really means. 

Only about 30% of U.S. employees believe their opinions at work matter, and when it comes to change (especially in culture), what your employees perceive about the value of their input is paramount.  We all have our own blind spots, so how can your company understand what changes would best propel your organizational culture forward without listening to your people?   

I’m not suggesting that you publicly give disgruntled employees center stage, because doing so would likely make matters worse.  But I am suggesting you find ways to garner genuine, honest feedback from all employees and then take the time to listen and understand it.  To be effective, this can’t be a gimmick to “get buy-in”.  If you really want to succeed, you need to put forth a genuine effort to listen, clarify, and understand your employees at all levels.  The disgruntled ones can tell you what’s wrong, while the top performers can tell you what is right.  Both perspectives are valuable.

“When you allow your employees to dream with you, you don't have to work on getting buy-in. They already believe in it because they helped create it.”

Nate Dvorak & Ryan Pendell

Finally, you have to make sure your employees know that you listened, and there’s only one way to really do that: Take action!  Have you ever been in an automated phone queue where you’re asked to enter a bunch of information (like your account number, etc.) and then when you get to a live person, they ask you the exact same questions you just answered?  That really irks me.  I’m thinking “why the heck did I spend the time and energy to punch-in all of this information when you were just going to ask me the same questions all over again!”  At that point, I feel disrespected and resentful.  Don’t request employee feedback, and then throw it away.

When soliciting feedback, consider your employees time, energy, and emotional vulnerability as sacred.  If they provide honest feedback, that’s a true gift to the organization.  They’ve gone out on a limb in hopes of making things better.  Months later, if employees perceive that nothing has changed, you’ll have a hard time getting them to share their perspectives again in the future.  And even worse, their opinion of the effectiveness and trustworthiness of leadership will take a hit. 

Don’t get lulled into the idea that a mass email providing the Official Results of your efforts meets this criterion.  It doesn’t.  Knowing you received their input is a step in the right direction, but it won’t buy your employees’ good will for long unless they see that their feedback triggered real, and lasting change for the better. 

So, before you communicate at your employees, or decide to invest in a game room and beer tap as a quick fix for your cultural woes, ask your employees what they really value… and then listen!

Paul Langfield