I can’t watch presentations anymore. Having been an active Toastmaster for some time, I notice all the speakers’ mistakes. The “uhm” sounds, the non-purposeful fidgeting, the illogical sequence of ideas, the obsolete information. I can barely hear what the speaker is saying.
A layperson watching the same presentation might notice that something’s wrong with it. It’s boring or just not resonating. But they can’t really put their finger on it. Once I explain: “he mixed up presenting an abstract concept with giving concrete advice” they go “ah!”, and confirm “you nailed it!”
Switch to a company doing an employee satisfaction survey. Its results are miserable, so the participants are asked to work out concrete recommendations for what should change. Ask that question separately to line employees and to managers and you’ll get distinctly different answers. Worlds apart.
The employees will tell you all kinds of things, that could be jointly labeled as: more money. Not necessarily in monetary form. The managers will come back with flowed processes, working conditions, credibility, vision, communication flaws, and lastly perhaps compensation, but only as one of many factors.
It’s not that the first group is dumb or greedy. It’s that they cannot really put their finger on what they feel is a problem. Perception takes training, and training takes time and appetite for learning. Not everybody wants to think broadly.
When you set out to improve morale, by all means do include all of the affected employees in the conversation, but:
- drill down past the first answers (symptoms) to the root cause of issues, don’t just take requests and throw some money at them,
- explain how the results fit into the broader picture of work, taking the time to educate the people you work with.
It’s democracy with a healthy dose of moderation.
A side effect of such surveys could be discoveries of talent. An employee who speaks, demonstrating an understanding of the broader context, is a good candidate to develop and promote. A manager who does not speak this way, may in turn be in the wrong position.