Managers today may need to "widen" their open door policies, especially as the pace of business accelerates. In a recent nationwide survey of chief financial officers (CFOs), 61 percent of respondents said the biggest challenge companies face in employee management is a lack of communication with staff.
The survey was developed by RHI Management Resources, North America's largest consulting firm providing senior-level accounting and finance professionals on a project basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies with more than 20 employees.
CFOs were asked, "What one mistake do companies make most in managing their employees?" Their responses:
- Lack of communication between management and staff - 61%
- Lack of recognition and praise - 19%
- Lack of flexibility in scheduling hours worked - 7%
- Lack of authority given to employees - 6%
- Other - 4%
- Don't know/no response - 3%
"In today's fast-paced business environment, it's easy to rely on e-mail or voice mail to stay in touch with employees," said Cecil Gregg, executive director of RHI Management Resources. "Electronic communication, however, cannot replace personal, face-to-face interaction. Managers need to make time for informal meetings or weekly project status checks, as a group and individually, to build a team environment and maintain positive morale."
Gregg added that listening skills are critical to effective communication. "Establish a dialogue with employees to ensure that their work is challenging and rewarding. Encourage them to voice their concerns, and solicit their ideas on improving efficiency or productivity."
A survey of consultants with RHI Management Resources confirmed this trend. Nearly 60 percent of 230 senior-level financial consultants polled said the greatest challenge companies face in managing their employees is a lack of communication with staff.
RHI Management Resources has locations in major cities throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, and offers online job search services at www.rhimr.com.
We Need to Talk: CFO Survey Reveals Poor Communication is Most Common Management Mistake
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Indeed, if you work with many people and you lead them, to establish a dialog with the employees is a priority measure. You must encourage them to speak about their problems. Many times, their ideas improve productivity. -
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