Importance of employee performance – You may think that listening to employees is a no-brainer for any management team. However, if you take a deeper look into the business realm – or even inside your own office – you may be surprised to see how little listening occurs in the modern workplace.
Today, most individuals in leadership positions make decisions without consulting employees or asking for their input. In fact, this is now considered one of the biggest problems that businesses of all sizes face today.
Are you paying attention to what your employees are saying? Are you asking for their input? Keep reading to learn some of the top reasons you should do this and the benefits offered.
It Can Be Expensive to Not Listen
Each day, millions of dollars are lost in businesses just because of subpar listening. These lost errors are because of ineffective decisions, eroded teamwork, and errors.
One of the main obstacles to acquiring feedback from employees is fear. Managers are often afraid to listen to what their team has to say. This is because they are worried; they may give off the impression of agreeing with something they do not really support. Some of the other reasons that management may not listen well are if they do not want to hear feedback that may require them to reconsider their opinion or perspective on a specific topic. They may also worry that they will not have the opportunity to give their own opinion during a conversation.
Do these situations sound familiar? If so, you definitely are not alone. However, it would help if you didn’t let your fears keep you from seeking input from employees. The feedback that you miss out on because of these fears may be feedback that can positively impact your business’s performance.
You can overcome the fear of listening. Taking time to understand your employee’s point of view is not something that will happen naturally. It is a type of learned skill that will require time and effort.
Employees Value Managers Who Listen Over Increased Compensation
Employees value “career growth” and “culture” more than they value benefits and increased compensation when they are choosing an employer. For most people, the ideal work culture involves an environment of listening.
The realm of employee feedback and engagement is growing. Today, the annual engagement surveys are being replaced by tools for “employee listening,” such as anonymous social tools, pulse surveys, and the use of TLS. These approaches have increased the “employee listening” culture, which is crucial to today’s HR department.
Encouraging your employees to provide feedback is an effective way to give your workers power that does not require you to increase their salary or provide them with a promotion. In fact, about 70% of all employees rank empowerment as a top benefit. In fact, being able to have a voice when an opportunity or problem occurs has a huge impact on overall engagement.
Supervisors Listen to Employees with a Longer Tenure or Higher Status
Even with the best intentions, supervisors often develop a type of selective hearing when it comes to receiving employee feedback. Managers tend to listen to the employees they are comfortable with or have been on the job for a longer time. It is not as surprising that the outcome from the bias is that the workers who are not as listened to may wind up with much lower performance review. The diversity of team composition is considered eroded.
According to researchers, the solution to this situation is for managers to become more aware of their subtle and often unconscious biases to connect with their team members more naturally and systematically. Another option for helping to reduce the unconscious bias is by including anonymized feedback from employees using surveys. This will help ensure that the individual’s status does not provide any extra weight to their words.
Listening to Employees is Essential to Build Strong Leadership
There is a common mindset among some managers and leaders that basically states that “listening equals weakness.” Some leaders view themselves as leaders in a dogmatic sense – a person who tells their subordinates what is what. However, it is also important for managers to stand down and to listen to what is being said. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few leaders who struggle to do this. A part of why leaders struggle with this is that they have become much more accustomed to talking than listening.
The key to translating listening skills into a type of effective management is taking what is learned from employee feedback and using it to take direct action. Everything that employees have reported can lead to some type of active response. This is possible, but it is important that this happens – especially in situations where the feedback reflects current problems or issues.
When you take action to solve a problem situation, it will create a win-win situation. This is because you can build trust among team members that will lead to increased transparency and help everyone move forward. As time passes, your employees will have more confidence in the situation that bringing up a problem with you is the first step to ensuring it is solved.
You May Damage Employees’ Motivation if They Feel Unheard
If you are focused on employee engagement, then listening to what they have to say is one of the most important tools you have. Make sure you put all the other perks, such as bring-your-dog-to-work and catered snacks, on hold. None of these things are as important as just requesting and listening to employee feedback.
Each time you do not listen or if you do not pay attention to what an employee says, it makes them feel unimportant and valueless. You will begin to create a type of negative vibe and a downward spiral that may lead to high levels of disaffection and unhappiness within the workplace.
Take time to create a direct line to speak with and listen to employees. One of the best ways to do this is by utilizing a policy of checking-in with employees. When you implement this type of effective, systematic approach, it can help ensure that you never lose track of your workers. Remember, engagement is something that you have to work to nurture, and it is up to you to be proactive about this. Even if an employee seems to be doing well, don’t take this for granted. Your productive yet quiet workers can also fall into some type of despair and begin to search for a new job, where their work and diligence are appreciated and recognized.
Listening to Your Employees Matters
When it comes to creating a positive work environment, you have to take time to listen to what your employees have to say. By doing this, you can feel confident that they will know their worth and that they will come to you with issues that may require your attention. Don’t fall into the habit of not listening; this is one of the fastest ways to create a job where employees are unhappy and ready to “jump ship.” Being informed is one of the best ways to help ensure you get the productive, satisfying workplace needed to ensure that a business survives in the modern world and thrives.
