Whenever you want to change something in your workplace, it’s a good idea to consult the people its going to affect. It’s common sense on many levels.
However, many managers completely overlook this piece of common sense and decide to fire ahead with changes without consulting their employees. Instead, they tell them what they’re going to do after the decision has been made.
This type of autocratic management style works in some situations, but in the majority of situations, it’s far better to actually sit down with your employees and talk things through. That doesn’t mean you can’t go through with your plan, but it means that you can inform people of what you’re thinking about and then ask for their opinions.
After all, your employees are the ones that work in the office day in, day out. As they sit at their office desks, they’ll have the best understanding of what will work versus what won’t. If you fail to consult with them, you’re missing out on very important insights and knowledge.
Of course, there is also the other side of this. If you fail to consult with your employees, surely you’re affecting morale. Employees respond better when they’re listened to and valued. This increases workplace morale and productivity. So, the next time you want to change something, be it workflow or you’re looking for some office design ideas, why not set up a focus group?
Focus groups help with the flow of information from employees and the employer. It also gives employees a chance to give their input in a structured way. All of this helps to improve morale and keeps your employees happy will giving you plenty of insights that could take your business to the next level.
For more on that particular element, check out this video which talks about how to keep your employees happy.
The only downside of a focus group is that you can’t have all your employees sitting in on it. You need to select a small group of employees from different departments and different levels to represent everyone. Then, employees can feed their concerns and ideas through the focus group members and information can be distributed back.
All of this helps to create a better working environment because improvements are likely to be made in the best interests of everyone.