Trust: Tell It Straight

I heard some employees complaining in the cafeteria, “They keep us in the dark; we don’t what’s happening until the ax falls.” We have an employee paper; how much more are we supposed to tell them?” Frances V.

Tell them everything you’d say to a business reporter who asked. Employees who aren’t kept informed don’t have much of a reason to trust their company, or be loyal to it. Employees on the production line, as well as the engineers and managers, have a stake in the company, and most want to know where they stand, and how the company is doing. If you don’t keep them posted, they’ll think you’re hiding something. A good rule to follow is to tell them everything except what could do the company harm if it got to a competitor.

I know of one company that takes 15 minutes before every workday to give every employee in the company a briefing on what’s happening in the business. And, often as part of that meeting, five minutes are set aside for employee ideas on a problem needs solving. The ideas are passed on up the line until the top person in that location has heard all the employees’ ideas before noon that day.

Off the job, we’re used to getting up-to-the-minute news on local, national and world issues. Why not on the job, too? Today, with some companies laying people off without warning, employees lose trust in management. Front-line supervisor as well as managers up the line should talk personally about why budgets have been cut; how the company is doing in the marketplace; what issues it’s struggling with; how the economy has affected the company.

Companies usually do better when all the employees are pulling in the same direction and with the same enthusiasm. But company information has to be spelled out in a way that’s understandable and compelling. I’ve seen many so-called “Mission Statements” on company walls, often in fancy picture frames, that are so long and full or big words that they don’t mean much. (Test this: ask any five of your employees what the company’s mission is. If they can’t tell you immediately, and get it 80 percent right, it’s too complicated.) The “Mission Statement” should be so compelling—and believable—that it drives everyone’s focus throughout the day. If what people are doing during the day doesn’t help the company meet its mission, their work isn’t helping the company survive.

Employees who are know about the company, its products and services, and where it’s going, can help management make it happen. Employees who know the impact the economy on the company can help cut costs. Employees who are treated as partners will act as partners.

Employees need (and want) to know:

• How important their work is; how it fits in with the tasks others are doing;

and how their work meets a customer need.

• How they can make their jobs more interesting and challenging—and thus feel

more confident about their role in the company’s business.

• How they can do different work that might take them into newer, sometimes more

challenging areas. (Question for bosses: which would you rather have: An

employee who is flexible and can do several jobs well and wants to expand

his or her skills even further, or one who can handle only one task.?)

• How they can have a greater input into their own assignments, and be respected

for their initiative in coming up with new ways to get things done well.

• How they can work more independently; how they can act more like partners in the

enterprise, instead of people who have to be watched and supervised closely.

• How their work is having a substantial impact on impact on people in

other departments; on customers. (Bosses: When was the last time you gave an

employee an afternoon or morning off to visit a customer and see how the

product was being used; to spot any problems the customer was having with your

products or services; to find out how your company could be more customer-

responsive?)

• How they can have faster access to management to talk about their ideas.

• More information about company plans, products, research, services, marketing

techniques.

• How they can have the opportunity and support to increase their technical

skills and become even more valuable to the company.

When management tells it straight—day after day—face to face; in company magazines; on bulletin boards; with Internet messages sent home— employees build loyalty and trust in the company, and become more focused and committed to it. But a campaign like this can’t start (like the flavor or the month), then peter out in a few weeks. One you start it, it must be permanent.