Have you heard of 'Undercover Bosses'? It's a great show! The bosses go undercover and shadow their employees for a few days. The big wigs get to see, first hand, how the little wigs live.
It's a great format because it cuts out the selective reporting of middle managers, and the bosses get to see what nobody wants them to see. There's no hiding from truth.
Some of the bosses may start the process thinking they have nothing to learn, however, at the end of the process they all emerge having learned and developed in ways that they could not have foreseen.
There's no substitute for Experience
The saying, 'do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes' comes to mind. The bosses may have walked that mile at some point when the business was being set up - or in a previous life - but memories fade, a sense of self-assurance kicks in, and the comfort zone gets more and more comfortable.
When bosses are so far removed from the front line of business they can benefit greatly from the first hand experience of their staff. Going along to observe / participate is a great way to learn, but it's only the first step. Watching an operation does not make you a surgeon!
Missing a trick?
If the bosses can learn how to improve things by observing the front-line, they can also learn a thing or two by bringing the front-liners into HQ and getting their perspectives.
The face of your company is your biggest asset!
If you are happy for those employees to be the face of your company, to represent you to the outside world, that should be a reflection of how much you believe in them, right? They are the best people to represent your brand. Just as good as, if not better, than you! And if not, why did you hire them?
The employees who interact with your customers and your suppliers on a daily basis are best placed to tell you what your customers and suppliers want. It really is that simple! So, put your money where your mouth is and listen to them!
Listening is a Culture
Listening is not something that happens by accident. Listening is a choice. We tend to listen to those whose opinions we value. Do you value your employees?
No matter how great you are at your job, or how brilliant your company is, you don't know everything. It's just not possible. We can all learn something, no matter how big or small, if we just listen.
Culture and Scalability
When you start a business, it can be so easy to get caught up in the day to day and to forget that the culture of the business today will scale with the business into the future.
It is very hard to get rid of a negative company culture retrospectively
It is so vital to be mindful and make decisions about what you want the culture of the business to be; to make plans to ensure that the culture is nurtured and becomes a mature and integral part of the business. If you don't factor company culture into your business plans and processes, it will take root regardless and grow like a weed.
Two-way communication is key
Listening to your employees (having two-way communication) is vital to positive working relationships. Being actively listened to makes us feel valued and motivated. Even if every suggestion doesn't make the final cut, it is heartening when we see the feedback of other colleagues being actioned and we can see that we are being listened to.
The benefits of an empowered workforce in terms of the increased productivity alone of are surely reason enough to start listening to your front line staff.
Heading in the right direction
Taking part in Undercover Bosses in the first place is definitely a positive sign that the bosses are willing to learn and change. It's admirable, and a great step in the right direction. But the real test will be if they can accept a challenge on their own turf. Are they willing to listen? How far are they willing to go to change? How much are they willing to reveal about budgets and strategy? That will really put the culture of any organisation to the test.
Do you listen to your employees?
If you believe that the first hand experience of your front-line employees is worth something, then start today by listening to them!
No comments:
Post a Comment