Addressing Small Problems Early and Often
If a single broken window is not repaired, it won’t be long before more windows are broken. Problems that are fixed when they are small will stop them from developing into more serious, costly problems.
When considering the level of team satisfaction, the same is true. Dissatisfaction can spread rapidly throughout a team, and also throughout an organization. Before you know it, you have morale problems that can be hard to resolve.
To ensure that your team members are satisfied, you need to appreciate any day to day problems that they may have and deal with them quickly. It is important to keep the initiative and a good tip is to give a little and often.
This turns out be just a vicious circle. Fixing the problem when it’s small is also when it’s easiest and when it’s cheapest. If the organization’s leadership waits to introduce change until they are prompted by employees, then they risk having to implement the change from a weak position. Staff like strong, confident leadership who are not afraid to make decisions. This approach generates respect – not least of which because someone has taken the time to understand some of the employees’ issues.
Compare that with those managers who are out of touch. If they are late in addressing problems they are always on the defensive, having to concede to demands they run the risk of losing credibility which in turn can lead to having to agree to 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?
An online satisfaction survey would appear to offer a good method for getting employee or team member feedback. Online surveys are 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 via postings on social networks. The results are collated in real-time and can be automatically displayed as charts.
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.
Organizations 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, an organization is able to address small problems before they grow into much bigger problems that are then more difficult to address.
When organizational leadership shows willingness to consult with the workforce, it is appreciated by most employees. Requesting feedback and input is not viewed as a sign of weakness, but an indicator of good decision making.
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