It takes a leap of faith to ask your staff – all levels – ‘what’s going well, what could be better and what solutions do you feel would fix things’.
That’s exactly what a global financial services company did in the UK over August. Just look at some of awesome results delivered:
1. The company got some fantastic ideas they can implement relatively cheaply. No huge fees for external consultants!
2. The staff felt empowered, valued, listened too and were far better connected with peers across all services and departments.
3. Staff stepped out of their comfort zones and recognised they could rise to any challenge and achieve more than they previously felt possible.
4. Senior management got to see the hidden talent of their staff.
Instead of doing the usual staff survey, the company organised a challenge. Working in teams each region presented their thoughts and solutions to a panel of senior management on a given subject. In this instance, the subject was ‘Better Connections’ – how well connected are we with each other across the business?
The prizes were individual awards of vouchers for a leading online retailer but, way more impressive, the commitment of implementation nationally of the winning ideas.
The winning team was the London region for their tangible ideas with the Southampton team a close second for their innovative, passionate ideas.
I had a small input on this journey which enabled me to see the awesome integrity, commitment and passion of the teams.
So, if we know and accept our greatest asset in the world of business are our people, why aren’t we regularly asking and listening to their ideas? Not all ideas will be viable – but many will be. Just think of the positive impact on the business with committed, engaged, staff who know they belong.
Are you ready to take that leap of faith?
Jane James's Consultancy Limited 