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Mixing it up How do you recommend companies integrate employee feedback mechanisms to strengthen communication channels and build a culture of transparency and trust within the organisation? Many years ago, you had to listen to a whole number of songs on the radio before you got to the one you wanted to record on cassette, or thumb through vinyls at Woolworths in search of the favourite you wanted to buy. As a result, you would take in and discover music you did not know existed. It gave the big picture in which to appreciate what others were listening to. Now, we can ask smart speakers or streaming services for that one specific track. Those devices then suggest similar things we might like, so in a world where we are increasingly directed to what we want to hear, how can we be sure that we are receiving, listening for and acting upon genuine feedback? The difficulty with running any organisation is that everyone is different. Different ages, backgrounds, football teams (although I would prefer it if everyone supported Newcastle United, obviously). What I might think is a good idea may be someone else’s worst nightmare. The key is to recognise that everyone is different and get their individual feedback. At Dutton Gregory Solicitors, we carry out firm-wide staff engagement surveys every six months. Everyone is encouraged to participate and give their honest feedback anonymously. The feedback is invaluable and is given in a positive, safe environment. If leaders do not know about an issue, then how can they do anything to try and improve it? Or at the very least, address it? The value of feedback is to share it with everyone and report back when items are discussed and/ or acted upon. The last survey we carried out resulted in a video being created to explain what was good (e.g. everyone said they felt comfortable speaking to someone if they had concerns or issues), highlight matters that needed addressing, and, most importantly, what the plans were to address them. Is any firm perfect? I doubt it. Do we at Dutton Gregory get everything right? Of course not. But it is my experience that this can be forgiven with true transparency. If people feel they are being heard, know what is going on, and understand the efforts being made, there is a trust that change will come, and it will be in their best interests. So, when making your next request to that smart speaker, why not ask for a random mix, rather than something you want to hear? Who knows, you might just find your new favourite? Paul Sams, Partner, Dutton Gregory Clarity, Openness, and Engagement Any strategy designed to create long term happy client relationships has to start way before the client becomes a client. For any relationship to work there must be a meeting of minds and that means that what you say you are, you must be. Your messaging on your website, in your adverts, in any interaction designed to attract a potential client, has to be clear and accurate. Your engagement with the prospect needs to be candid and open, and any discussions must be followed up with a confirmation email or letter setting out what is being agreed, clearly and specifically. This must then be reflected in the contract, or engagement terms. The point is- if you bring a client on board and there is a mismatch of expectation, you are setting that relationship up for trouble. It’s like online dating- saying you’re 6 foot 2 when you’re a foot shorter than that will not hold up when you actually meet. So, you’ve agreed things clearly and confirmed the terms- next thing is to deliver on promises made. And that goes for both parties- don’t be afraid to speak with your client early on if they are doing things which cut across your agreement. If those things slide and become the accepted norm, it’s very difficult to pull them up and get things re-established. In that respect- are your people empowered to call such things out? Do you encourage engagement not just for such procedural monitoring, but also for generally friendly and constructive reasons? We now have around 140 staff which gives us a sizeable cohort for processing our clients’ work. It’s great for resilience of service, but we do ensure that each client has their own specific small team. It’s not a faceless machine, and having interactions between specific individuals and the client makes everything better. Everything. There’s give and take on both sides, because there is an actual relationship. These engagements can be ad hoc as part of day to day interaction, but they should also be regular, more formal engagements. Review meetings- they can be brief but are so important in building that longer term approach. We survey our clients for an NPS score. We chat with them about service. About any issues. About the things we are doing really well. We understand their ambitions and aims, and as a result can often upsell other or increased services. We have clients who have been with us since day one, 15 years ago. It’s because we’ve learnt that these relationships, just like in life, need clarity, openness, and engagement. Alex Holt Director of Business Development, The Cashroom 17
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