If the Window is Broken - Fix It Quick
If a building’s broken window is not repaired promptly it doesn’t take long for many of the building’s other windows to be broken. Problems that are fixed when they are small will stop them from developing into more serious problems.
When considering the level of employee satisfaction the same is true. Dissatisfaction spreads like wildfire and in a surprisingly short period of time you’ve got morale problems of the kind that are notoriously hard to fix.
Ensuring your employees are happy is mostly about being tuned into what their problems are and, importantly, dealing with them early on. Keeping the initiative is vital and it is nearly always better to give a little and often.
This turns out be a vicious circle. Fixing problems when they are small is also when they are at their cheapest to fix. Employees prefer it if the management takes the initiative without being prompted and by taking the initiative the manager is acting in a position of strength. Staff like strong, confident management and this approach generates respect not least because someone has taken the time to understand some of the employees’ issues.
Compare that with those managers who are out of touch. They arrive late at a problem so they are on the defensive, and with their credibility eroded they have to concede to demands which in turn could lead to further and less reasonable demands. It is neither big nor clever.
How then can an organization monitor the morale of the employees without a big budget and an abundance of spare time?
The most obvious solution is to conduct an online employee survey. Online surveys are quick, easy and low cost. Instead of weeks and months surveys can now be designed and published in hours and minutes, by harnessing the power of the internet invitations can be sent out instantly and free of charge using email, links on websites and postings on social networks; the results are collated in real-time and can be automatically displayed as charts.
A corporate internet is the ideal delivery platform.
By linking through to an online survey website a company can regularly conduct surveys so they become part and parcel of the daily operations.
With the real-time results that are a by product of online surveys the mood of the employees can be accurately gauged and individual and collective concerns highlighted.
Organizations can use survey results to highlight problem areas and then use follow-up surveys to target specific concerns. With good information managers are able to identify specific problems and prepare a considered response.
A major advantage of regular surveys is that they allow companies to address relatively small problems in a timely manner and avoid ‘the straw that broke the camels back’ syndrome where what might be seen as a insignificant incident explodes into a torrent of pent up anger.
It should not be forgotten that most employees appreciate being consulted and asking their opinion is not seen as a sign of weakness but an indicator of good decision making.
Every now and then management problems can be solved with something that is quick, easy and won’t break the bank; enjoy.