| One of the things that continues to surprise me is | | | | management strategy you design it has specific |
| that when times are bad organizations still spend | | | | activities and responsibilities for management. |
| money on employee engagement surveys. A | | | | Often we forget that managers are just as |
| general look around the office or factory and tea | | | | concerned during tough times about their job |
| room discussions would make it obvious to all that | | | | security, but their team members are looking at |
| wanted to see it that employees are not so | | | | them for direction and support. So when we |
| much engaged as they are worried about their | | | | design change strategies ensure that there are |
| jobs. This leads us to two major issues to | | | | key responsibilities and clearly defined activities for |
| consider during tough times, the first is how we | | | | all levels of the organization. So practically what |
| inspire confidence and innovation in an organization | | | | does this mean with our example above? Well |
| that appears to be in freeze mode. The second is | | | | you would design specific activities such as; |
| what you should measure as an indicator of | | | | 1. Managers would identify the real business data |
| employee engagement. | | | | and share it with their teams |
| Let's deal with inspiring confidence and innovation | | | | 2. Managers would be responsible for selecting |
| in your organization. Well this boils down to a | | | | which ideas would be selected for testing in a |
| change management strategy that focuses on | | | | specific market and they would decide which test |
| getting employees actively involved at all levels in | | | | market |
| understanding the business and how their ideas | | | | 3. Managers would obtain the business results at |
| can have a positive impact. Here's an example of | | | | the end of the six week test period and organise |
| what you could do. | | | | briefings with their teams |
| 1. Take real business data and share it with | | | | 4. The hierarchy of managers would then decide |
| groups of employees at all levels that deal with | | | | which tests produced the best result and decide |
| customers in specific sectors. | | | | which to implement and project plan that |
| 2. Ask employees for ideas on improving or | | | | implementation |
| innovating just one aspect of your service | | | | 5. Together with human resources the |
| offering or product line and test in a specific | | | | management team would decide on a reward and |
| market segment on a small scale, say a sales | | | | recognition program and share it with their teams. |
| territory or state. | | | | So what about employee engagement surveys? I |
| 3. Then after testing those ideas for a six week | | | | say save your organization the tens of thousands |
| period ask employees to examine the business | | | | of dollars they cost and invest your time in a well |
| results. | | | | thought out change management strategy like |
| 4. Take those ideas that have shown a substantial | | | | that outlined above. This will ensure a climate |
| improvement in sales and implement either state | | | | where communication is open, ideas are valued |
| wide or nationally depending on your organization. | | | | and actions are implemented. All these steps are |
| 5. Design a reward and recognition program | | | | indicative of a workforce that is focussed, has |
| around the impact of these ideas on the business | | | | purpose and feels a greater level of confidence |
| outcomes and start to energise your workforce. | | | | about the future of their organization and |
| It really is that simple, treat employees with | | | | therefore their role because they are actively |
| respect, stop telling them what to do instead | | | | involved in designing the future, not being told |
| listen to what they have to say, put some rigor | | | | what do and when to do it. If you just change |
| around the framework for ideas and reward | | | | the paradigm from budget cuts, budget cuts and |
| outstanding results. This is how innovation happens | | | | budget cuts to opportunities, growth and |
| and how you can energise an organization to | | | | involvement your organization's business results |
| respond quickly to changing market conditions. | | | | will be your barometer of employee engagement, |
| Another key is to ensure that whatever change | | | | no survey required. |