How to turn intelligent, hardworking individuals into disloyal employees: The day I lost all respect for a former employer.
I used to work for an organization whose leadership was so far away from the ground workers they were blinded by Wall Street. As a ground employee, I knew their target market. I was their target market.
As a ground employee, I experienced their failures every day. As a ground employee, I constantly strategized ways to update and improve processes that would reach the target market. Senior managers (I cannot in good faith call them “leaders”) were too blind to listen.
I remember they thought guerrilla marketing would work more effectively than social media. Millennials laughed. I guess leadership never got the joke.
I constantly thought, “if they only knew this would never work. If they only asked employees what they thought would work better. If they only created a small focus group to question ways to improve practices,” they could restructure in a meaningful way. Instead, they restructured by firing a lot of managers, maintaining out-of-date business practices, and lowering ground-level employee work hours. Oh, and they cheapened the product and raised prices, too. Because that always works.
One day, I decided to speak up. I told my then-boss, ‘as an employee, I want the best for the company. But as a member of your target market, I know these business practices won’t work.’
My boss waited patiently for me to finish my thought. I could tell she cared about my feedback,and I, even still respect her as a manager. But, I soon realized my help and insights would never be utilized or appreciated by the people who mattered. Senior Management was not interested in making changes. They weren’t listening.
My boss acknowledged my desire to help. But, her silence spoke volumes. I lost all respect and all hope for the organization that day.
Here’s what I wish senior leaders at that company had known:
- Even you can learn things.
- Times are changing. You should, too.
- Ground employees doing the grunt work are valuable assets to the company. Even guerrilla marketers are talent assets with human capital and relationship knowledge.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. In fact, asking for help will break down barriers and allow employees to grow into stronger, loyal assets.
- Employees know when they are heard and when they are not.
- Employees know when organizations will act on feedback and when they won’t.
- Employees lose respect for leaders who don’t take feedback seriously.
I know I didn’t make an impact at that organization and I know I could have. I can’t make people listen. But, I know they would have been much better off if they had. My hope for the organization is this: I hope you’ll learn to listen more. You could learn something, gain the respect of loyal employees, and, yes, even profit.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!