Employees: Underutilized Human Assets
Attention business owners and managers. Take a look at your employees. Every day, they have a unique perspective in regard to production, business processes, quality control, serving customers, etc. Are they sharing this information with you so that you can better serve your customers?
Your employees don’t live in a box. Their perspective is extremely valuable and can positively impact your bottom line. Do you allow them to share their perspective? And, have you let them know that it’s safe to share their ideas – even the ideas that conflict with standard procedures or your own “pet” projects?
Management style has changed through the years to allow for the employees’ voices to be heard. To gather their feedback is not a sign of weakness (as it once appeared to be decades ago). Quite the opposite is true. Gathering employees’ feedback is a strategic, continuous improvement effort. In fact, this demonstrates your solid leadership skills. Following are some benefits to utilizing employee feedback.
Increased Ownership & Motivation. When you engage employees, they know that you value their ideas and are more apt to take on more responsibility. No longer are they watching the clock or aiming for the status quo. Creativity and problem solving injects energy into any situation.
Informed Staff. An informed staff is better suited to excellent customer service. Further, your staff will use this information for the betterment of the company. Effective communication should be open and clear. A successful company does not perform well if only the management is aware of its objectives.
Teamwork. Management doesn’t carry the burden of continuous improvement, increasing sales, and satisfying customers on its own. Doing so, and increasing the bottom-line, is a company-wide effort. Each employee understands how his/her daily activities impact the end customer.
How to make it work? As the manager, be transparent and continually tell your employees that you need their feedback. If you try an idea that doesn’t work, don’t immediately shut down to this new way of thinking. Keep trying and when you find an idea that does work, praise openly and honestly. Also, drive this new lean culture/continuous improvement from the top down. Managers must check the old-school style at the door and be in full support of this effort.
About Janet Johnson
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Great article. I think that increased ownership and helping your employees to feel valued, motivated and appreciated goes a long way. Once a person feels like a part of something bigger than themselves, it helps them to recognize that their effort and input is a integral piece of the overall success of the company.
Thanks Lori, I completely agree. We spend so much time at work. There’s no reason why we (as employees, owners, etc) can’t enjoy our lives at work, feel valued, appreciated etc. Janet
Janet,
What you write is so true, for large companies and small. Large companies treat their employees like wheels in a cog, replaceable ones at that. And small business owners tend to forget that their employees are people with desires and aspirations of their own.
Dehumanizing, that it what it always seems to boil down to it.
Good lessons for me to remember with my own people.
Hi Lilia! It’s amazing to me how when companies want to cut costs, one of the first considerations is to cut labor – meaning lay off their employees. Employees’ ideas are valuable, unique, and possibly profit building. Companies that value their employees as equal and valued individuals experience much further success than those that don’t value their people as much. Thanks, Janet
Janet, most of my work is with small business owner with 5 or less employees. I think it is great that you highlighted the issue of communication since that is the number one problem I see with managers of any size company. Effectively communicating expectations appears to be a major challenge. When can you write about that!
Hi Janine! I’m seen it too many times. But company owners can’t turn their backs on their employees saying “he/she should know” or “I don’t have time for this.” Effective communication, nurturing, inspiring, empowering, etc. are all responsibilities of good managers and company owners. Thanks! Janet
Great post! I like the paragraph on informed staff. It is so important to keep communication going on and everyone should be aware of important things that are going on in the company!
Thanks Lorraine! If we don’t know what’s going on then how could we possibly help? How could we possibly contribute the best we can? Thanks so much for your comment. I think that communication is “common sense” but many people subscribe to that “need to know” basis. Take care! Janet