There probably isn’t an executive out there who wouldn’t claim that the lines of communication within their organization are always open, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true. Yes, employee engagement and communication is important, even necessary, to the success of any organization. However, once-a-month emails or asking rhetorically “What do you think?” at the end of a meeting isn’t nearly enough. Leadership, from execs to HR to department managers, should be doing everything they can to create a Communication Culture in which their employees feel safe enough to communicate without solicitation or fear of reprisal.

Sound a little severe? “Fear of reprisal?” Well, according to a recent study on Harvard Business Review by James Detert and Amy Edmondson, employees surveyed “reported withholding input from a person higher up in the corporate hierarchy” because they were afraid the higher-up would resent the implicit need for change. However, the authors suggest that instituting a Communication Culture isn’t necessarily fast or easy. They say it

“isn’t simply a matter of removing obvious barriers, such as a volatile leader or the threat of a summary dismissal [… or even] putting formal systems in place, like hotlines and suggestion boxes. Making employees feel safe enough to contribute fully requires deep cultural change that alters how they understand the likely costs (personal and immediate) versus benefits (organizational and future) of speaking up.”

They recommend that “leaders must explicitly invite and acknowledge others’ ideas” and “actively challenge the myths and assumptions that reinforce silence” to cut the initial difficulties in making a cultural change.

Keep in mind that employees will be more willing to participate if they are shown that the rewards for their opinions exceed abstract pats-on-the-back. Detert and Edmondson go so far as recommending that organizations can “tailor their reward systems so that employees share more directly in the cost savings or revenue streams they help create.” Now that’s real engagement.

In a post on the KnowHR Blog, Frank Roche admits that it’s standard for HR managers to initially “encourage employees to speak up, to offer opportunities for improvement, and to ‘be engaged’” but also that “the tide of managerial resistance is hard to overcome.” But overcoming that hurdle should be part of HR’s domain. Since, as Systematic HR puts it, human resources owns “identifying competencies and expertise” in employees, new and established, HR can take a leadership position and inform executives when an employee “is a go to person for particular topics” and the employee’s input should be considered.

Engaged employees demonstrate higher productivity, loyalty and stamina, and that usually contributes to a healthier bottom line (although there’s even more at stake here). They’re easier to retain, and they help foster the retention of their fellow employees. And employees who are given an even broader culture of communication yield even greater benefits. They tend to be innovators and thought-leaders who drive progress for their organization. It isn’t something that every business has in place, but in the coming War on Talent, where retention will be so vital, maybe more businesses should develop a Communication Culture.

Share This