Problem:
It is said, no harder endeavor can there be, than that of the introduction of something new. Many new things have a hard time getting started and when it is imperative to get team participation in order to ensure that new system is implemented to its fullest potential; well that can seem like an insurmountable mountain. Thank goodness for leaders and early adopters.
Early adopters are those that adopt the practice and new system relatively quickly. However even these folks can start to lose hope if they don’t see what they can perceive as immediate results. Leaders are of course those that are trying this new system and have a belief that it can work.
If you have brought on Retain Today to conduct the culture surveys for your company, it can be frustrating to only see 50% participation. If you are looking for a way to increase participation as well as help improve company culture, try implementing this small idea below.
Solution:
The short answer is leaders can drive participation simply by giving it focus. The longer you support something as a leader the more of a chance it will be adopted by the team. It is important to not simply demand that the new system is adopted, we as leaders need to show belief in it.
Let’s start by driving open conversation about the survey. Leaders can increase participation by simply holding small conversations throughout the day of a question they may have found particularly interesting in the survey. Some of the questions are meant to be thought provoking and conversation pieces. When leaders engage those early adopters and ask simple questions like, “what did you think about the last question today,” it can drive both communication and trust.
It shows the team that leaders are looking at it and it can bring up very interesting important conversation around what the team is here to accomplish and what might be needed from the leader or organization.
Practice:
At first this practice can seem forced and may feel weird. But it might surprise you what you learn about your team and how much more cooperative those members of your team might become.
Make it a goal to have small (2-4 minute) conversations with 2-4 different individual during the week concerning one or two questions you observed (that caused you to think) in the last couple surveys. Ask the team member what they thought about it…
They may not say much at first, here is what you do next; simply repeat what they say back to them in an inquisitive way and then wait for them to further explanation. The most important part after you repeat what they said is to be silent, just wait for them to speak and just practice active listening. You will notice the conversation will be much deeper and engaging. As you practice this more you will get better and listening as a leader. This small practice will begin to increase trust, communication and along with it better teamwork.
Questions:
Doesn’t it feel weird to just repeat to someone what they just said?
Yes, it will feel weird, and what will feel weirder is the silence that comes after. The silence will feel so odd to the other person that they will fill the silence by going deeper into what they first said.
If you feel too weird just repeating back to them what they said. Simply repeat what they said back to them the way you understood it or simply in a different way changing a few of the words.
I hope this write up helps you in your quest to better yourself as a leader and give you a better understanding of your team.
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