Do you really know what your managers and employees are thinking or how they feel?  Even if what they feel or think is not true (in your mind) the thoughts and feelings are THEIR persepective.

I’ve recently been working closley with a few organizations and I have to tell you….it has been an eye opener.  I decided, along with my content in my sessions, I would add a survey.  This survey is done via email and is sent to my managers and supervisours to give them a chance to vent anonymously.   So far….my upper management and CEO’s have been a little surprised.  I have also found that my managers and supervisors are a little relunctant at first to email me there responses.  But once they get started….well things just come out! 

I ask my managers to be open and honest because they may assume that the upper management team already knows what is going on, but I tell them, they don’t always know and many times, at least in my experience, are shocked when they hear the feedback.  So food for thought upper management, HR and CEO’s…my two questions are:

1. What is one major discplinary problem you would like solved? or What are one or two Executive Team issues you would like to see resolved (personal or professional)?
2. What is one policy or process you would like to see changed or altered?

After the survey questions are answered and revealed are all the issues resolved?  Absolutely not!  But here is what I have learned with working with so many organizations big and small, the managers at least got to be heard and the upper management and CEO’s are informed.  It’s called communication!  Some issues have actuallybeen easily solved.

I understand that many of my organizations I work with are going through major changes and cut-backs but you still have to stay in touch with your people.  I challenge upper management to open themselves up and find out EXACTLYwhat their people are thinking and feeling…you may be shocked too…but you may be pleasantly surprised! 

Let me know how your questions worked!