To: All Management Staff at The Corporate Asylum
From: The Inmate, CEO and Editor-in-Chief
Re: Procedures for Dealing with Suggestions from Employees
I would like to thank all of you for instituting the "Suggestion Boxes" at my request. This time-honored way of getting our valuable employees' input is certainly creating the kind of environment that I want to foster at The Corporate Asylum.However, I would like to address another issue regarding employee input: the face-to-face suggestion. Many of our employees, for whatever reason, prefer to approach management with their suggestions either in their offices or informally in warehouses, hallways, restrooms and lunchrooms. I want every one of you to encourage this kind of thing. It is very important that employees know that management is listening to them and that their ideas are being considered. Here are some guidelines as you interact with our most important assets.
First, always convey to your employees that the suggestion is a good one. Never show any disappointment in the idea even if you do not personally like it. Always be positive; always be encouraging. Remember, new ideas may not always sound good to you and it is possible that in the future, after some reflection, you may think that the suggestion is a good one.
Secondly, with this in mind, let employees know that it is a really good idea and that you will most likely institute it or try it out. Do not promise this, but leave the possibility for it while also leaving the possibility to ultimately reject it. However, emphasize the former and not the latter. Expound to workers why the idea will work even if you do not think it will(This is a good exercise which may reveal to you the merits of an idea that you first disliked). Employees should leave your presence feeling good and positive about working at The Corporate Asylum. Not only will they know that you have listened, but they will also feel reasonably assured that their ideas will be used.
Lastly, at your weekly meeting some of the better ideas should be discussed with your on-site management staff. Let us be realistic. More than likely you will not use your employees' ideas. There are corporate strategies and economic realities that workers have no way of knowing about which is why their ideas usually fail. It is no reflection on their intelligence it is simply a lack of information, not enough knowledge. If, perchance, the suggestion is a good one, institute it immediately, but if you plan to reject it do not make this known to the employee. Morale is an extremely important aspect of the working environment so it is important to let the feelings that the employees had when they believed their idea was going to be used to linger as long as possible. This will make them better and happier employees. Many employees will eventually even forget that they made a suggestion, but will, nonetheless, remember the good feeling they had when you praised it. That emotional high may remain with them for days or even weeks. Going to them to formally and logically reject their ideas will only destroy their morale and leave the impression that we are not interested in their input.
I wish to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to The Corporate Asylum. If any of you have ideas or suggestions on how to continue the success that we have already experienced please contact me or a member of my staff at anytime. My door(both real and cyber) is always open.
Regards,
The Inmate
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