This employee retention speaker and employee retention author read a WSJ article where they were discussing the practice of brainstorming and whether or not it was worthwhile. The biggest complaint on brainstorming was it often does not produce any really good ideas that can add value to the organization. Many of the ideas generated were just simply crazy and it was a waste of time to be spending time in a meeting brainstorming and that having people working alone to come up with ideas was a better approach. This employee retention expert thought…”Why not do a combination of both ways?”
If organizations want true employee involvement, use a variety of methods. One CEO agreed with this employee retention consultant that although 70% of the ideas are crazy, the other 30% of ideas have the potential to be groundbreaking. As a former HR Leader, I saw this happen all the time. Besides, the act of asking for employee input sends the message you value and respect the employee’s ideas. Respect is the “R” in the C.R.A.P. philosophy (Caring, Respect, Appreciation, Praise) which can lower employee turnover by 40-80%. Another way of getting this employee involvement is to ask individuals, “We have this problem…what do you think?”
Simply asking individuals for their thoughts on a problem is another great way to get them off the bench and into the game. You can ask individual employees to think on it and have them bring their ideas to you. The key is to just ask! It sends the message you value them and the ideas they bring to the organization. This is fundamental. You don’t have to have some fancy system to get employee involvement. All you need is leaders at all levels to start asking and listening with an open mind to the ideas that may be generated. Getting employee input should be part of your employee retention strategies as well as your business strategy.
With the use of brainstorming and asking individual employees for their ideas combined together, this employee recruitment expert has seen it create vibrant cultures where people felt comfortable bringing forth their ideas. This helps organizations to build a culture of creativity and employee involvement. If you want your people to get off the bench and into the game…Just Ask!
Is your organization desperate to retain people? If you are an HR Leader, General Manager or an owner of an organization, call me at 414-305-9626 or email me at jeff@jeffkortes.com and I can explain how the C.R.A.P approach can reduce your employee turnover by 40-80%.
