Getting your employees to help boost your profits

It is amazing at what can happen when companies engage with their employees.

Ask your employees what they think needs to happen in order to improve things in a company.

It is not a sign of weakness that you are asking employees and that you don't know the answers yourself for improving the situation.

Employees want to know that they are helping the company in order to feel a sense of accomplishment and they often usually do not expect to be compensated for their ideas.

Questions like how do we reduce costs, whether it is reducing overtime or making processes improvements are areas that people on the ground floor can sometimes better answer than the highest paid consultants.

Often certain departments feel that they are second class citizens so there is great value in engaging all aspects of the business.

It lets people know that there is appreciated, that they have an equal voice in the organization, and it will allow each individual to better understand the business and to develop more patience and admiration for the work of others which improves morale.

Do not use a suggestion box.

It will just gather dust.

The best approach is to involve all departments and for the senior management team to take part in contributing ideas.

This time investment by management works wonders in terms of driving the best results.

The best approach is to get the mid management level to gather some ideas ahead of time before senior management gets involved. This will make for more productive meetings and it will also prevent employees from going silent when senior executives are in the room for fear of speaking out of turn.

Make sure all ideas welcome and set a positive atmosphere. A transparent environment is best and it is also important to try not to make issues or problems too complicated.

After an exchange of ideas, it is important to respond to groups immediately and let people know that not all ideas will be implemented and that there will be follow up by management on each idea presented. Those ideas that are not implemented must be given an explanation as to why.

A town hall meeting involving the entire company is helpful in announcing plan implementation and reiterating that the plan is a group collaboration from all employees.

There is an appetite for all employees to want to improve the business so take advantage of this fact.

The pride and success that comes with a Canadian division or a Canadian company competing on the on global stage makes everyone feel good about what they do as well as their own prospects for the future.

Farewell,

Mike