You have a packed to-do list and far too little time. You’re doing your best, and you naturally expect your employees to speak up if something is wrong or if they need something. That’s why it can feel like a punch in the gut when the department’s employee satisfaction survey comes in and the results are poor—and anonymous, to boot.
I can certainly understand if it feels discouraging. Many leaders are constantly navigating demands coming from all directions and have a lot to keep track of. But dissatisfaction rarely arises overnight. As a leader, it’s therefore important to be attentive to the signals employees send along the way—even when they don’t say outright that something is wrong.
Employees don't always say yes. This may be due to the following reasons, for example:
They are unsure whether it is safe to say it out loud and whether it could have negative consequences for them.
They themselves are unsure of what the problem actually is or how to put it into words.
They have said this clearly in the past—or seen colleagues do so—without seeing any action taken in response.
But the signs are often already there
A poor well-being survey rarely comes completely out of the blue. Often, there have been signs in everyday life: conflicts within the department, resistance to changes at work, sick leave, or resignations.
A classic example of something being wrong—which some managers often ignore—is when an employee is asked to complete a task and responds with something like, “Well, I guess I’ll have to do that.”
In this situation, you can simply choose to think, “Well, at least the task has been passed on.” Or you can wonder why the employee is responding that way.
Is the employee’s communication style the problem? Is the employee overwhelmed? Or is there something within the team or the culture that’s affecting morale and motivation?
That doesn't mean you have to put up with a negative tone or take responsibility for everything your employees feel. You can be clear and curious at the same time.
For example, you could say something like:
“I noticed how you responded to the assignment earlier. I need you to be clear about whether you’re able to handle it, but the way you responded also makes me wonder if there’s something on your mind that we need to talk about.”
Here, you express a clear expectation regarding behavior and communication—while also opening the door to a conversation.
It takes courage to have that conversation
The reason we avoid having conversations that we sense are important—both at work and in our personal lives—is that we risk being confronted with uncomfortable truths that we’ll then have to deal with. This can be overwhelming, so we might put off the conversation until a “better” time or tell ourselves that it isn’t that important.
But often it is important. The content of the conversation isn’t necessarily what matters most—the relationship is. That’s why it’s worth being curious when something catches our attention or we sense that something needs to be discussed.
It is through these “small” everyday conversations—when we comment on something we’ve noticed, whether it’s something positive, something that catches our attention, or challenges we’ve picked up on—that we show we are attentive and fully present in the relationship. This builds trust and makes it easier for employees to share what’s difficult or makes them feel vulnerable.
As a leader, it is especially important to be aware of these signals and to actively investigate them. This gives you insight into what your employees are experiencing and struggling with—information that directly impacts their well-being and performance.
That is why a crucial part of leadership takes place in day-to-day work. It involves having a one-on-one conversation with an employee when there are direct or indirect signs of dissatisfaction. Or it involves stepping in during meetings when an employee speaks vaguely and asking them to elaborate.
In this way, you also encourage employees in their day-to-day work to be more explicit about their needs or dissatisfaction, so that these issues don’t just hang in the air, open to interpretation. This allows you to actively address the problem and take action, so that vague dissatisfaction doesn’t become a regular part of communication in the department and end up negatively affecting the work environment for other employees.
The well-being survey is your barometer
This assessment is an indicator of how healthy and strong your department is. It’s a development tool that you and your employees can explore together and commit to acting upon. But it all starts with how you, as a leader, choose to approach it. Your reaction sets the tone for how seriously you yourself take the process.
If your department has received a low well-being score, you should never say anything like:
“This survey takes me by surprise. I really want to improve your working conditions, but I can’t do that unless you come to me directly and tell me what you need—or what’s wrong.”
In fact, it’s a complete abdication of responsibility. It tells your employees that you’re either unwilling or unable to take responsibility as a leader—or both.
You have to show it—not just say it
If things are going to move in the right direction, the process starts with you.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to take the lead and take charge of changing the situation. Your employees need to feel both that you want change and that you have the ability to bring it about.
The truth is, a poor employee satisfaction survey should never come as a surprise to you. At the same time, however, it’s understandable if changing it feels overwhelming. That’s why part of taking responsibility for the department also means taking responsibility for yourself—and that means, among other things, being honest with yourself and your own leadership about what support and resources you need to succeed.
As a leader, you often face pressure from multiple directions. It can be difficult to navigate, especially when demands and needs seem, at first glance, to be pulling in different directions. But employee well-being and the organization’s needs are not mutually exclusive. The challenge is to find solutions that take both into account.
As a leader, this may require having a space for professional reflection at your disposal—a place where you can step back from day-to-day operations and routine, lift your gaze, view things from a broader perspective, and consider the situation from multiple angles before deciding on a strategy, so that you don’t risk solving one challenge only to create another
In fact, a “red” employee satisfaction survey likely says just as much about how your employees are doing as it does about how you yourself are doing as a leader.
If you’d like a space to discuss specific leadership challenges, feel free to contact me for a no-obligation conversation about online leadership coaching: mame@mariam-mellouli.com
