Addressing Small Problems
If not repaired it won’t take long for a building with one broken window to quickly turn in to a building with many broken windows. Addressing problems when they are small will prevent them from developing into larger problems.
When considering the level of employee satisfaction the same is true. Dissatisfaction can spread like wildfire and in the blink of an eye you can have the type of morale problems that are notoriously hard to resolve.
To be confident that your employees are satisfied you need to be aware of any day to day concerns and deal with them before they get out of hand. It is important to keep the initiative and a good tip is to give a little and often.
This turns out be a vicious circle. Fixing the problem when it’s small is also when it’s easiest and when it’s cheapest. 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. Employees like strong, confident management and the management will gain the respect of the workforce if they take time to understand the 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 leads to further and less reasonable demands. It is not big and it is not clever.
How then can a company monitor the morale of the employees without a big budget and an abundance of spare time?
Online employee surveys would appear to tick all the boxes. They represent a quick, easy and low cost solution. Surveys can be written and deployed in seconds, using email, web links and social networks invitations can be sent out immediately and for free and the results are collated and displayed in real time.
A corporate intranet is the perfect 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 ability of online surveys to produce real-time results the mood of the workforce can instantly gauged and collective and individual concerns highlighted.
A company can use survey results to expose problem areas and then use follow-up surveys to target specific concerns. With good information managers are able to get to the root of specific problems and prepare a considered response.
By conducting regular surveys a company is able to address small problems before they grow into much bigger problems that are then more difficult to address.
When management show willingness to consult with the workforce it is appreciated by most employees, not viewed as a sign of weakness but an indicator of good decision making.
It’s unusual to find a solution to management problems that is quick, easy and won’t break the bank but here one is.