Last week I asked you if you were telling the whole truth.
How about the question: are your employees telling the whole truth? Is it really safe for employees to speak up?
According to a Harvard Business review article: Can Your Employees Really Speak Freely? by James R. Deter and Ethan R. Burris, the fact that you are the manager, that you have power and that you want to succeed all contribute to employees being loath to divulge everything they know about a project or situation.
The reasons are:
Fear – the visibility of coming forward is a big one
Power – the evidence of your power is evident at all times
Futility – the leaders’ behavior, managers’ silence and lack of relevant resources result in a “why bother” attitude
Employee surveys, interviews and questions can gather valuable information. If no one has the time or bothers to process the information the endeavor will fail. It also will result in future surveys being a useless waste of time for everyone because employees will withhold their true feelings and impressions.
I help managers understand how to uncover the secrets to hearing the truth from employees and to create a culture of honesty. Contact me before your operation is shrouded in silence and secrecy.