Why a Stitch In Time Saves Nine
If not repaired it doesn’t take long for a building with one broken window to quickly turn in to a building with a lot of broken windows. Fixing problems when they are small will prevent them from developing into more serious problems.
When considering the level of employee satisfaction the same is true. Dissatisfaction can spread rapidly throughout an organization and before you know it you can have morale problems that can be hard to resolve.
Good employers will be tuned in to what their employees’ problems are and, importantly, will deal with them early on. Keeping the initiative is really important and the secret is that it is better 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. Most employees prefer their management to take the initiative without being prompted and by doing so management can operate from a position of strength. Employees look for strong, confident management and having a proactive approach and taking time to understand the employees’ issues will gain the respect of the workforce.
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’s not big and it’s not clever.
How then can an organisation 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. They’re quick, easy to use, and a low cost solution. 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 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.
Companies can use survey results to expose problem areas and then use follow-up surveys to target exposed concerns. With good information managers are able to identify 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, but there it is – sometimes management problems can be solved with something that is quick, easy and won’t break the bank.
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