By
Bruce L. Katcher, Ph.D.
The Problem: Decreased Confidence in Management
Employees need to feel confident that senior management is competently running the organization and has solid long-term plans for the future. Otherwise, employee motivation, job performance and commitment will suffer.
The Solution: Steps Toward Rebuilding Employee Trust
1. Communicate Successes
Even when business is slow, there are small victories that should be celebrated. If employees only hear the bad news, they will quickly lose confidence in management.
2. Practice Open Book Management
There is no reason why management can’t give their employees access to the organization’s business plans and revenue and expense information. Employees have every right to know how well the company is doing and what management plans for the future. Being open and honest with employees shows them that nothing is being hidden from them.
3. Admit Mistakes
Nobody is perfect. Most employees will give senior management the benefit of the doubt if they are told the truth. Employees would trust senior management much more if CEOs would admit it when the leaders have made a mistake, were shortsighted or just messed up.
4. Tie Senior Management Pay to Success
It is shameful that CEOs have been receiving such huge paydays even while their organizations crumble. How can employees trust senior managers who take no personal financial responsibility for the failings of the organization?
5. Maintain a Long-term Focus
Focusing too much on short-term fixes may lead to immediate results but cost the organization in the long run. Study after study has shown that knee-jerk reactions to current economic conditions—layoffs, cutting research and development funding and merging with other companies—rarely lead to long-term success. CEOs need to communicate to employees that, although the current woes their organization may be experiencing are troubling, the company has a long-term business strategy that will help it successfully weather the storm.
Conclusion:
Management must show employees—through both their actions and word—that it is committed to the long-term survival of the organization.
You can learn more from these AMA seminars:
Author Bio: Bruce L. Katcher, Ph.D., “The Survey Doctor,” is president of Discovery Surveys, Inc., in Sharon, Massachusetts. He welcomes readers’ questions or comments and can be reached at Bkatcher@DiscoverySurveys.com or 888-784-4367.
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