Everyone’s talking about it, but few really understand it. Without claiming to have mastered the entire methodology, *À nos mots* recently explored the question of ‘Why’ for a major client. According to Simon Sinek*, the creator of the concept and the associated method, the starting point is always an interview with all the company’s employees. Simon Sinek wrote his manifesto without knowing about ‘Nos Mots’, which is why he adds as much as possible. Sinek suggests speaking at least to managers and key teams, and gathering a few photos of the teams in their workplace. Indeed, that was before…
In our view, companies can reach out to all employees and collect photos of every team across all roles, as well as detailed feedback from each employee on what inspires them about their company and what leaves them… less than inspired. Unlike a traditional employee satisfaction survey, the feedback gathered is nuanced and can be accompanied by photographs or videos. How many hours of works council meetings have been wasted in fruitless debates over whether an issue raised by union representatives was an isolated incident or a company-wide problem? With a questionnaire from ‘À nos mots’, this question no longer arises. If three people send in a photograph of a faulty locker, it is a localised issue. If this feedback relates to 200 lockers, we should consider refurbishing the changing rooms. In the same vein, we spoke with HR managers from an industrial group who were disappointed that their employee surveys were not proving very popular with staff. After a brief discussion, it emerged that the average age of the employees was over 45 – a group not digitally native, whose work involves handling mechanical parts rather than smartphone keyboards. For these respondents, the response format was a barrier. Our solution now allows them to have their say, as giving feedback by dictating it is as simple as making a phone call. To offer your employees a more engaging experience, don’t wait any longer: get in touch with us.
* Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Portfolio, 2011