Silencing Employees – Consultancy

Do you ever feel like your organization doesn’t actually hear you? Or perhaps your organization doesn’t offer a safe environment that encourages you to speak up? All too often, one of these scenarios is played out in the workplace. Many businesses feel that they have processes in place to ensure employee feedback, but is it effective?

Stoping the Silence

Previously I wrote about the importance of not silencing your staff. Aside from providing a safe culture within the organization that encourages staff input and feedback, many companies miss out on the opportunity for the most honest feedback by skipping the exit interview. There are multiple reasons for the exit interview, but the most important is to get a candid overview of the organization’s culture and environment. The information obtained from an exit interview can identify opportunities for employee retention, leadership development, and succession planning.

Don’t Assume

When I left after 20 years with the same organization, I literally begged for an exit interview. After being completely ignored by one CEO (who suddenly left the organization without explanation), I approached the new CEO requesting a brief meeting. I was quickly dismissed and wished the best of luck in a brief email response. I simply wanted to express my experience with the organization and my concerns out of dedication to my previous patients and the work-family I left behind.

No one in management asked why I was leaving. Assumptions were made, but only those close colleagues knew the real reason. I could no longer work in an environment that didn’t support their staff, seek genuine feedback or provide the tools that allowed me to do my job at the level that made me feel fulfilled. More importantly, I no longer felt that the organization prioritized patient safety, leaving me feeling less competent as a health care provider.

Why The Exit Interview

Unfortunately, the absence of an exit interview is common. The insight that upper management missed by dismissing my request saddens me. Even worse, my work family is stuck in the same toxic environment that forced me to leave, and it’s only getting worse.

It’s essential to have clearly identified standards for the exit interview to make them successful. Most Fortune 500 companies perform exit interviews but only 40% feel they are properly utilized. Make sure to have a format that can get useful information. The last touchpoint with the employee gives the interviewer the opportunity to ask about issues that are concerning or unresolved. It also allows the employee to leave with a sense of feeling heard. Why is that important – they are leaving after all? Because in todays employment climate, you never know when you may need to call that worker back for some help. If they left on a sour note, they are guarantee not to help out in a shortage. This frequently occurs in healthcare but also in any skilled industry. Boomers are retiring at an alarming rate, and there isn’t always someone qualified to immediately replace them.

Making Them Count

Finally, assessing and utilizing the information after the interview is vital. We’ve all filled out an employee survey that was later thrown in the trash and never actually looked at, let alone the feedback reviewed and put to use. This is important if the organization has a genuine interest in maintaining a healthy culture and an environment that encourages communication and investment from the employees. After all, without staff, no organization would exist. Employees are the company. Dedicated and fulfilled leaders and employees want to put their best foot forward. The key is to keep both feet in the business but if they choose to leave, find out why. The reasons may surprise you. At the very least, it will provide you with valuable insight and the opportunity to improve and grow your business.

Stop the Silence – Keeping your employees engaged…

Research shows that communication is a vital component for a high-functioning organization that wishes to empower employees and thrive as a business, regardless of the industry. Unfortunately, there seems to be a misconception by many in management roles that employees that don’t speak their mind and who go along with the management’s direction are more valued than those that express themselves. While these silenced employees may be perceived as easier to manage, the opposite is actually true. Employers must provide a platform for employees to have a voice. This not only keeps employees engaged but increases performance. It promotes creativity and stifles groupthink leading to greater innovation.

Several years ago, my former organization was exploring a new health care delivery model. This change was based on the Southcentral Foundation’s NUKA model of care that focused on patient-driven care. Part of the initial stages of this process included sending a delegation to a week-long training at the Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska. My director, at the time, asked if I would be willing to attend. Naturally, I agreed. Who doesn’t want to spend a week in Alaska at the boss’s expense? The experience was invigorating and ignited my passion for healthcare again. Later my director confessed that the reason she invited me to participate was due to my outspoken nature. She knew if she didn’t have my buy-in, she would likely have some push-back. She also understood that I could be her biggest ally in the implementation process if I realized the benefits of the change. Instead of silencing my voice, she understood the informal leadership role I had on the team and used it to benefit the organization.

Unfortunately, many organizations miss out on the ideas and valuable input that employees have to offer. I’ve never understood why, but some organizations intentionally silence their people. Perhaps management feels it is easier to manage or control situations, or possibly the manager is treated the same from those in the next management level up. Either way, this culture of silence is counterproductive and diminishes the organization’s opportunity for sustainable growth.

Although high-performing organizations promote a culture of open communication, recent research shows that the majority of employees fear speaking up and that those that did speak up were less likely to move up the ladder. Research also shows that suffering in silence leads to adverse outcomes for the organization. It causes low motivation, disengagement, alienation, and, low morale.

The benefits of employee input are numerous. Employees work on the front-lines and are most familiar with the products, customers, and processes. This day to day exposure to the workings of the organization offers insights that those at the management level may not be aware of. Coming from a healthcare background, I will use the nurse-doctor analogy. The nurse spends twelve hours with the patient while the doctor may spend ten minutes. Who knows the patient better? Not that the nurse knows better than the doctor, but they will know more about the patient’s symptoms and overall condition. Ultimately, the doctor makes the decision, but without input from the nurse, the doctor wouldn’t have all of the information to make the best decision. Without input from employees, management will not have all the information required to make the best decisions for the organization.

There are multiple strategies that organizations can use to encourage employees to contribute their opinions. First and foremost is leadership modeling behaviors that encourage and support active two-way communication. By reducing formality and power cues, the leader assumes a collaboration role rather than a dictator role, making them more approachable. Avoid speaking to only those employees that you are comfortable with. This alienates the rest and promotes favoritism, which, in turn, silences your staff.

Make asking input part of a daily routine and then actually do something with the information. Twenty-five percent of employees do not share ideas or information as they feel that nothing will be done with it. Maybe it isn’t valuable today, but it may be tomorrow. Assuming that employees will speak up on their own is a gamble. Perhaps previous experiences or lack of confidence will stop them from presenting what could be an amazing idea. By not asking for their input, you are essentially silencing them.

To encourage diversity in your cohesive team, bring up controversial topics, and encourage debate. Do not nit-pick or demand a plan or data during the brainstorming phase. Allow the team to be creative and follow-up with data to support their suggestions. These approaches encourage active dialogue and set the tone for a safe environment for honest communication.

Promoting a culture of recognition encourages continuous input from employees. Staff that feels appreciated for the achievements will gain confidence within the company. The more confident an employee is, the more likely they are to offer input. Commend staff for their suggestions and for asking tough questions. Finally, reward and recognize employees that offer input that contributes to successes.

In conclusion, cultures of dialogue not only result in more engaged employees but the bottom-line results that organizations strive to achieve. When organizations utilize the full potential of their staff, it diminishes creativity and productivity. Worse yet, silencing employees leaves untapped potential, and eventually, that potential will go elsewhere to an environment that appreciates them.

Even if you don’t intentionally silence your team, I challenge managers to look at their own behavior. What can you do to encourage employee input? Is there a behavior that you can change to stop the silence?