By Katy Hews

For the past 20 months we have heard a message of change on a global scale. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” (President Barack Obama, 2008).

The business of change has become an industry unto itself: “Change is permanent – it does not matter what industry you may be in, how large your enterprise, or your organizational structure. Globalization, technology advances, complex multinational organizations and more frequent partnering across national borders and company boundaries – these are just a few of the enablers and accelerators of change.” (IBM Global Business, Making Change Work, 2009).

But change on a smaller scale can also reap benefits for an organization, and one of the most effective sources of change is your employees. In conducting employee surveys as part of strategic marketing plans, we ask the question, “If you could change one thing about your organization, what would that change be?” The answers reveal a great deal about the organization, how it is perceived internally, and frequently result in specific measures for enhancing the organization both internally and externally.

For example, employees of a regional architectural firm recommended that the organization’s main focus needed to be clarified, and the company needed to become more client-focused. Another suggestion was to develop a process to create better teams for each project, both at the proposal stage and once it became a job in the office. To answer these concerns, the company restructured to better match up to their primary client organizations. And, a marketing process was created that resulted in more effective assignments at both the proposal and the project stages.

For a regional contractor in the Southeast, the one change that employees mentioned most frequently was for an internal newsletter that would keep employees aware of what was going on as the company grew, and to add a more personal note, e.g., recognize anniversaries, new hires, etc. This was particularly important for field personnel who were feeling disengaged as the company grew. The company followed through on this suggestion and now has a robust and effective internal communications newsletter.

As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Look to your employees as that small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens that can help you change ‘your world.’

By Katy Hews

No one questions the importance of having a strategic plan to outline goals and the means to achieve them and to set the foundation so that everyone in the company knows what will happen and what is expected of them. Companies spend hours and countless dollars on research to create a vision, choose the right markets, and developing strategies for engaging customers consistently, effectively and profitably.

It is informative to look at where A/E/C firms spend their research dollars:

– 30 percent: geographic trends and opportunities
– 26 percent: client perception/satisfaction
– 24 percent: new services
– 20 percent: competition research

What’s missing is money spent on internal research, particularly staff perception surveys.
In crafting a strategic plan, one element that is frequently overlooked or under-researched is how employees at all levels within your organization perceive the company as a whole, how they would like the company to be perceived, and what improvements could be made to achieve your stated vision. These employee perception studies have a different focus from the traditional human resources surveys: the intent of these perception analyses is to look at your company from the inside out.

Harvard Provost Steven E. Hyman describes employee engagement as “that inspired commitment that can yield extraordinary results.” This engagement can be encapsulated in the phrase “Say, Stay, and Strive,” that is, whether employees say positive things about working at the University, whether they intend to stay, and how much they are willing to contribute. (Harvard University Gazette, March 16, 2006).

Assessing employee perceptions throughout all levels of an organization can reveal important internal concerns. For example, in an employee survey Marketivity conducted for a regional contractor, there was a consistent message from throughout the organization that the quality of past performance was outstanding, and the firm stood behind its work.

However, there was a very strong concern that rapid growth and employee turnover were eroding these values and impacting performance. This was leading to a breakdown in communication, both internally and externally. Along with the communication issues, project documentation was not being adequately handled.

In crafting the strategic plan, the firm’s leaders looked inside themselves to improve communication, to provide better training and opportunities for all levels of staff, and to create documentation strategies. They also faced the impacts of growth upon the company and made a collective decision to slow growth temporarily so they could solidly position and prepare for future expansion.

Typical questions to ask in looking from the inside out are:

– How do you describe your firm?
– How do you think your clients would describe the firm?
– What do you see as the firm’s key strengths? Weaknesses?
– What new opportunities exist for the firm?
– What internal threats stand in the way of success?
– What is one thing you would change about the firm? What would you not change?

The responses to these questions can result in better alignment of your organization for the future. By engaging all levels of staff you can create an environment that attracts, motivates and retains top talent. Formerly untapped resources can arise from this internal assessment that can result in a better ability to adapt to both internal and external changes, thereby emerging as a stronger player in your marketplace.

In short, consider following the wisdom of Lawrence Summers, now President Obama’s Chief Economic Advisor, former Treasury Secretary and past president of Harvard:

“Harvard cannot be a great university without also being a great place to work,” said former President Lawrence H. Summers. “…the process of reaching out to employees to get input will enable us to identify potential issues and develop strategies for improving the climate for all employees as well as the university as a whole.”