"One day, I decided I needed to call everybody. It was during COVID. Maybe it was just because I was sitting at home going, "I wonder what they're up to, what they're thinking, what they're worried about." It turned into this really interesting collection of perspectives because we have employees in 27 countries. You get a view of how they're seeing the economy, their work - what's working for them, what's not working."
"It's unconventional to call your employees, but that's how I used to run my groups before I became CEO. Every individual has some of the most interesting insights and some of the darndest ideas. Part of the discussion is also reinforcing that, "Hey, we really appreciate what you're doing." I usually have details on what they're working on, and I can tie those things in, hopefully, to make a connection with them."
Nicholas Svensson, CEO of Smart Technologies, personally called the company's more than 600 employees during COVID to learn their perspectives and concerns. He used the calls to gather views from staff located in 27 countries about the economy, their work, what is working and what is not. He reinforced appreciation, asked about specific projects, and connected those details to individual backgrounds. He reverted from 'transmit mode' to 'receive mode' to test whether corporate messages, like town halls, were resonating. He noted a downside in remembering names but found employees polite and shared that individuals often offered surprising insights and ideas.
Read at Business Insider
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