As part of the Energage group of facilitators throughout the United States, we have open discussions about leaders becoming coaches; listening is key, finding out what employees’ want; and ‘being in the loop’ is paramount.
From Energage.com, here are some stats and what a ‘clued-in’ leader listens for and what they say to employees:
Do your employees truly feel heard? In a way, that’s what this statement is really about.
Even if senior leaders do listen to employees, when they don’t appear to respond to feedback, people might feel like they’re shouting into the void. They need to know their senior leaders understand what the day to day looks like.
Big Hint from Alysia– At least every week or two, have each employee meet with you informally for about 30 minutes individually to hear what ideas, and their suggestions to improve the team, and organization. Could be a ‘walk and talk’ meeting or over coffee.
If senior leaders seem out of the loop, it’s just a little harder for an employee to connect with their strategy and the organization’s mission.
Plus, if senior leaders really are out of the loop, they’re missing valuable insight from the people closest to the customers. When senior leaders are truly clued-in, they’re better equipped to serve the market.
Clued-In Leaders at Top Workplaces vs. Average Organizations
From the Energage Survey Statement:
“Senior managers understand what is really happening at [this company].”
- 57% in Average Organizations
- 70% in Top Workplaces
- 88% in Top 10% Top Workplaces
Only 57% of employees at average organizations responded positively to the Clued-In Employees statement on the Energage Survey. But at ‘Top 10% Workplaces’, this jumps to 70-88%.
How to Help:
Quick Fixes
- Encourage everyone, especially leaders, to practice active listening and then model it in conversations.
- Make a point of asking employees for input during meetings.
- Actively demonstrate a genuine open-door policy for all employees.
Big Picture Plans
- Hold skip-level meetings to increase the connection with employees
- Create forums to encourage employees to share their ideas for improvement.
- Don’t limit getting employee feedback to an annual event. Survey whenever it makes sense – following an organizational change, acquisition, etc.
What to Watch For:
- One employee who speaks for the whole team. Make an effort to diversify feedback sources.
- Leaders who get defensive when receiving difficult feedback. Encourage them to remain open-minded and solution-oriented.
- Forgetting to close the loop on ideas you can’t – or won’t – act on. Take the time to provide feedback and offer suggestions for improvement.
- Asking people questions and then focusing on your response. Instead, set aside time to listen and reserve judgments.
What Clued-in Leaders Sound Like:
- “Our senior leaders are humble, honest, and extremely respectful”.
- They care deeply about the growth and well-being of their employees. It’s a privilege to be working with great leaders here”.
- “The senior managers at our organization take time out of their busy schedules to meet with us about what’s going on”.
- They genuinely care, listen, and implement good ideas”.
- “Our leaders understand where the company is headed. But what impresses me the most is that they also know how we’re doing and where we want to go on an individual level”.
Try implementing just one of the quick fixes a few times this month and discover for yourself the positive impact on your organization.