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June 10, 2008
Top Management Talks Too Much, Say HR Execs
BOSTON, June 10, 2008 — At many
companies top management spends too much time speaking to
employees and not enough listening to them, according to a
survey of more than 2,500 senior human resource executives
in North America by Novations Group, a consulting firm
based in Boston.
Of survey respondents who have an opinion on the issue, 44%
said management speaks too much, while a majority said it
gets the right balance between speaking and listening. Only
3% feel senior management spends too much time listening to
employees.
"HR executives have a unique perspective on
what’s going on within an organization, what
employees really think and how the leadership team is
perceived," said Novations Director of Consulting Jan
Thibodeau. "So here’s an insight into whether
top management communicates effectively or not. The
findings tell us management gets it wrong at two out of
five companies."
It is important for organizations to get the right
balance between speaking and listening to employees. In
your opinion, how well does your senior management achieve
such a balance?
|
Our senior management spends too much time speaking to
employees.
|
44%
|
|
Our senior management spends too much time listening to
employees.
|
3%
|
|
Our senior management gets the balance about right.
|
53%
|
Corporate leaders are smart and articulate, so it is
understandable for management to want to get the core
message across and to reinforce the mission, observed
Thibodeau. "Repetition via multiple channels is
necessary," she said, "but the downside may be a
widely-held impression that communication is one-sided, or
even out of touch with employees."
According to Thibodeau, management often assumes that
listening is a natural skill. "In large, complex
organizations listening is neither a simple task, nor does
it come naturally. Leaders have to learn to listen with
purpose, with sensitivity to certain words and language,
and with attention to underlying meaning. But in too many
cases what should be a genuine dialogue becomes just a
monologue."
At a time when employee engagement is so crucial management
needs to foster a culture that values open dialogue, said
Thibodeau. "This is particularly key with Gen Y
employees who placed a high value on an interactive work
environment."
Equation Research conducted the Internet survey of 2,556
senior HR and T&D executives.
Novations Group, Inc. is a leading provider of consulting
and training services on four continents. Novations is
recognized for its expertise in diversity & inclusion,
employee engagement, talent management, employee selection,
leadership development, organization communications, sales
training and customer service.
Contact: Ryan, Ryan Public Relations,
845-339-7858, or Pat FitzGerald, Novations, 617-787-2163,
pfitzgerald@novations.com.
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