Ethan Burris, a management professor at the University of Texas at Austin, highlights the gap between collecting employee feedback and implementing real change. He discusses the challenges leaders face in fostering open communication and acting on insights. The conversation touches on navigating complex feedback situations, especially after the pandemic, and the need for organizations to maintain clarity with their policies. Burris emphasizes that listening to employees is crucial for enhancing satisfaction and achieving alignment in any organization.
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Quick takeaways
Gathering employee feedback is easier than converting that data into actionable insights, which is essential for improving morale and satisfaction.
Effective alignment between executives and employees through open communication is crucial for translating feedback into meaningful organizational changes.
Deep dives
The Challenge of Actioning Employee Feedback
Many companies struggle to translate employee feedback into actionable insights, often finding that gathering data is the easier part of the process. The real challenge comes from analyzing the data collected through various channels, such as pulse surveys and focus groups, and creating substantial changes based on that information. Without effective action following feedback collection, organizations may inadvertently harm employee morale, leaving workers feeling ignored and frustrated. This emphasizes the need for a robust system that not only gathers feedback but also ensures meaningful responses from leadership.
Gathering Useful Feedback at Scale
Creating a comprehensive narrative about employee experience requires efficient collection and integration of diverse data sources, especially in larger organizations. Different types of surveys, town halls, and informal conversations can provide a wealth of information, but without proper coordination, valuable insights may be lost. It is crucial for companies to synchronize feedback channels to make sense of the overwhelming volume of data. Establishing a systematic approach to feedback collection that connects these dots allows executives to better understand and act on employee experiences and concerns.
Aligning Executives and Employees for Success
Success in organizations hinges on alignment between executives and employees, where both parties understand their roles and can contribute to organizational goals. While executives have the authority to initiate changes, they rely on the insights from their employees, who are aware of operational challenges yet lack decision-making power. Open communication about decision-making criteria helps bridge this gap, allowing all levels of staff to feel heard and engaged. Establishing alignment creates a constructive environment that supports both organizational outcomes and employee satisfaction, promoting a thriving workplace.
We live in an age of data. But having powerful tools to gather employee feedback doesn't mean you’ll get powerful results. It’s challenging for executives to turn that feedback into substantive action. New research from Ethan Burris, professor of management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, sheds light on how to weed through all the data, make sure workers feel heard, and turn employee insights into real results. Burris is a coauthor of the HBR article "What Companies Get Wrong About the Employee Experience."
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