The term “mansion” dates back to the year of the Norman Conquest, 1066. A “climate” is a gelding used to guide flocks of sheep. The bell around his neck helped him guide the other animals. Today, the term is used to indicate emerging trends. For employers, the survey information will provide information on how to increase employee satisfaction levels.

LET THE SOUNDS OF THE BELLS GUIDE YOU

The metaphorical bell, ideally, will not set off alarms. If so, be grateful – you would rather know about the potential dangers than not know. Typically, however, reference sound will help guide you toward improvements that will benefit your organization, employees, and even the customers who support you. As Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell Soup, states: “To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.”

FORMAL SURVEYS

Taking the metaphorical pulse of the corporate body does not have to be difficult or expensive. A simple set of agree / disagree questions can be emailed to the workforce and the results then compiled. Some of the statements from that survey may include:

It encourages me to do the best job I am capable of.

Employees are considered the most valuable resource of the company.

We are encouraged to take reasonable risks.

There are incentives to recognize those who provide a good service to our

customers.

There are regular meetings where employees can share ideas to improve the

way we do business.

I am proud to be associated with this company.

Management has shown concern for employee morale.

I can point to the ways the workplace has improved since I was hired.

Communications here are honest and direct.

I am willing to go beyond what my job demands.

Management cares about how employees feel.

The results can be analyzed only by management or by a team of management and front-line workers. Among other things, general patterns must be taken into account. So should plans to improve workplace conditions. After analysis, management can determine the best way to share the results.

INFORMAL SURVEYS

In addition to the actual survey, supervisors can meet with small groups to ask questions like these:

What three adjectives best describe the way you work?

What three adjectives would your immediate boss use to describe your job?

How would you describe the ideal work environment?

What would allow us to get closer to that ideal?

Afterwards, supervisors can meet and prepare a collective report. Or, a given supervisor could evaluate what he has learned from the meeting and then report back to his direct reports.

KNOWLEDGE IS NOT POWER

Despite the common belief that knowledge is power, it is not. If it were, librarians would rule the world. Power comes from taking knowledge and using it appropriately. The best managers will take the information from the survey and apply it in the form of improved policies, procedures, and practices.

Oscar Hammerstein argued that “a bell is not a bell until you touch it.” Workplace bells can be sounded by surveys or a simple observation. But if you ignore what the buttons are telling you, you may not turn off the alarms that are sounding potential disaster.