9. Do I involve employees in setting company goals?
Brief: Let team members contribute to OKRs or
department targets instead of just receiving top-down orders.
Advantage: Drives
ownership and commitment; goals feel “ours”, not “theirs,” boosting
execution quality.
10. Do I give effective feedback—without hurting or demotivating them?
Brief: Specific, timely, behaviour-focused (not
personal), and balanced (positive + constructive). Often using frameworks
like SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact).
Advantage: Improves
performance without causing fear or resentment—creates a growth-oriented
culture.
11. Is there a proper employee recognition program?
Brief: Formal (awards, shout-outs, points
system) and informal (thank-you notes, public praise) recognition for
achievements and effort.
Advantage: Reinforces
desired behaviours and increases engagement; small, frequent recognition is
more powerful than annual bonuses.
12. Do I encourage open, honest conversations with my team?
Brief: Create psychological safety so employees
can raise concerns, admit mistakes, or challenge ideas without fear.
Advantage: Prevents
silent problems from festering; surfaces bad news early, which is the only
kind you can fix.
13. Do I invite employees into the idea-generation process?
Brief: Regularly ask for their input on process
improvements, new products, or cost savings—and act on good ideas visibly.
Advantage: Taps
into frontline intelligence (where real problems live) and makes people
feel valued, driving discretionary effort.
Here’s
the truth: the size of your organisation—whether in turnover or headcount—does
not excuse you from answering these questions. Until we put systems in place,
it’s unfair—and unproductive—to find fault with employees.
What
employees truly seek first is psychological safety. Only
when that is in place can other needs—growth, ownership, loyalty—begin to
follow.
The
questions above are not just management checklists. They are the building
blocks of psychological safety.
So
before that index finger comes out again, pick up a pen. Go through the list.
And identify what you need to fix first.
M.L. Narendra Kumar
Comments
Post a Comment