5 (+1) Steps to a happy team

In my other life as Performance Manager for Uncommon Knowledge, I’m responsible for building and maintaining a tip-top work team.  Last newsletter I took the first step in this process, and found out what stage our team was at, and you can find out how to do it for your team here.

The next step was to do our first employee satisfaction survey.  This survey asks many questions under the headings; autonomy, work conditions, communications, meaningful work, support and relationships, stress and pressure.  Cynics may ask are employees paid to work or paid to whine?  Abraham Maslow suggests otherwise - the more needs you meet at work, the happier you’ll be.  This bears out in companies who treat there people, like er… people.  Fancy lowering absenteeism and turnover?  Then read how to do your own employee satisfaction survey, in 5 easy steps… (link to new article).   

Talk talk

This month I’d like you to tell me what communications methods you use at work in this tiny 2 question survey.  I’m curious to find out what communication methods you use, and how skilful and comfortable you are using them. Let me know…

Fun camp or boot camp?

Thanks again for taking the time to fill in the “fun camp or boot camp?” survey.  It’s mostly fun not frowns, with;

• 72% of you say laughter and humour is encouraged at work.
• 79% of you have a company policy on “appropriate” language and behaviour, relating to for example, racism, sexism, ageism, disability and sexuality.

You told me about some fun stuff you get up to at work…

• “My team has a monthly game day (Pictionary, Mad Gab) Our division also puts together events a few times a year (Office Olympics, Carnivals, Putt Putt golf)”
• “Nintendo WII, Gaming is almost compulsory”
• “We have a silent auction on things that we would have normally given to charity or garage sale. The proceeds were used for participating in holiday charities. We have team pot-lucks. We have team recognition days. We have ice cream days. We do many little things to add some fun in the office.
• “we have fun surprises for birthday celebrations - some are super silly!”
• “"redecorating" offices and cubicles when someone is out on travel”

Warm Regards

Lyndsay Swinton
www.mftrou.com

PS If you participate in the survey I’ll let you in on the results next month :o)

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Employee Satisfaction Survey: Get your employees opinions in 5 (+ 1) steps
Why bother doing an employee satisfaction survey? Surely only out of touch managers don’t know what their team is thinking and feeling? Like many corporate tools, team "climate" surveys can be used for the greater good or can be a tick-the-box, aren’t I a fabby manager waste of effort. Here’s how to create your own employee satisfaction survey and get meaningful, actionable feedback from your work-mates.

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