| Left alone it doesn't take long for a building with a | | | | They're quick, easy to use, and a low cost |
| single broken window to rapidly become a building | | | | solution. Surveys can be created in minutes and |
| with many broken windows. Fixing problems when | | | | deployed in seconds, with the results compiled in |
| they are small will prevent them from developing | | | | real time; and by using email and websites they |
| into larger problems. | | | | cost nothing to disseminate. |
| The same is true when considering the level of | | | | A corporate internet is the ideal delivery |
| employee satisfaction Dissatisfaction spreads like | | | | mechanism. By linking through to an online survey |
| wildfire and in a surprisingly short period of time | | | | website such as a company can regularly conduct |
| you've got morale problems of the kind that are | | | | surveys so they become part and parcel of the |
| notoriously hard to fix. | | | | daily operations. |
| Ensuring your employees are happy is mostly | | | | With an online survey's ability to produce results in |
| about being tuned into what their problems are | | | | real-time the mood of the employees can rapidly |
| and, importantly, dealing with them early on. | | | | be gauged and concerns highlighted both on a |
| Keeping the initiative is really important and the | | | | collective and individual level. |
| secret is that it is better to give a little and often. | | | | Using the survey results companies can quickly |
| This turns out be a virtuous circle. Fixing the | | | | identify problem areas and follow-up surveys can |
| problem when it's small is also when it's easiest | | | | be used to target specific concerns. With good |
| and when it's cheapest. And taking the initiative | | | | information managers are able to get to the root |
| without being prompted puts the manager in a | | | | of specific problems and prepare a considered |
| position of strength, which also suits the | | | | response. |
| employees. Staff like strong, confident | | | | A major advantage of regular surveys is that it |
| management and this approach generates respect | | | | allows a company to address small problems in a |
| not least because someone has taken the time to | | | | timely manner avoiding 'the straw that broke the |
| understand some of the employees' issues. | | | | camels back' syndrome where a relatively |
| Compare that with managers who are out of | | | | insignificant incident unleashes a torrent of pent up |
| touch. They arrive late at a problem so they are | | | | concerns. |
| on the defensive, and with their credibility eroded | | | | And don't forget that the majority of employees |
| they have to concede to demands which in turn | | | | appreciate being consulted so asking their opinion |
| leads to further and less reasonable demands. It's | | | | is not a sign of weakness but an indicator of good |
| not big and it's not clever. | | | | decision making. |
| The issue, then, is how to go about monitoring | | | | It's unusual to find, but there it is - sometimes |
| the morale of a company without a big budget | | | | management problems can be solved with |
| and without much spare time? | | | | something that is quick, easy and won't break the |
| The first port of call should be an online survey. | | | | bank. |