by Kenneth L. Greenberg
When leaders and managers are faced with small talk in the form
criticism of either of an organization
or themselves, we find too frequently the impulsive reaction is to dismiss the
negativity and the negative people.
We suggest, and others concur, that this dismissal may be a
mistake. One of our white papers contains numerous sources on why critics both
outside and inside a organization need a voice. These critics are often
passionate about your organization or you, but cannot artfully voice the desire
for you or your organization to improve. Worse, when you ignore them, they are
denied an opportunity to contribute, collaborate and feel part of a organization.
Disengagement leads to unhappiness, which, in turn, leads to lowered
productivity. As a result you lose an opportunity to keep your critics engaged
in your success. Certain credible research suggests if a organization
disengages from both internal and external critics and they in turn disengage
from you, their passion for your Organization can become destructive.
Properly harnessed criticism and complaints can be turned into
constructive feedback that can be used to improve professional development
programs, products, services and strategic planning.
Criticism directed toward management or leadership is where 360°surveys come in. Properly constructed, 360° tools can contain criticism and filter it
into credible, valid and recognized leadership and management skill categories.
Not only are critics given a voice, but also a platform to constructively and
candidly engage with company management and leadership. This engagement can
lead to meaningful behavior change by management and leadership. Research has
proven that, if the correct behavior change is sustained, it will improve an Organization’s
effectiveness.
Custom surveys can be used to capture qualitative data and
feedback about products and services. Properly constructed with statistical
validity, these surveys can help interpret changing consumer tastes,
competitive threats and demographic trends. Also, this data can be used as
leading-edge indicators that drive innovation efforts and strategic planning.
We also believe risk identification and risk management can be aided by a
properly constructed survey tool.
While criticism may be misdirected or downright mean-spirited,
using survey tools can contain the criticism and engage the criticizer. Done
right, survey tools will filter the feedback into useful and meaningful data
that can be used to improve leaders, managers and thereby improve the
productivity and profitability of your Organization.
Many experts in organization development also believe the
integration of qualitative data from internal stakeholders such as employees,
managers, board members, etc. is a critical part of creating balanced scorecard
tools that measure the performance and effectiveness of a organization. When
properly analyzed and integrated into the strategic planning process, these
tools can help organizations learn and drive change initiatives
that promote growth and profitability.
Kenneth L. Greenberg is the CEO of KLG Consultants, LLC a
Talent Acquisition and Management firm based in Colorado. The firm provides large
company C-Level talent on an outsourced
and permanent hire basis to organizations of all sizes.
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