Breaking down barriers: some teams can be intimidated by talking with the C suite, but it's key to good management—and drives results

The effects of the pandemic are still playing out all around us. They are even further complicated by the wider geopolitical situation—although even without that, pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to has experienced major personal realisations throughout COVID.

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People are no longer willing to put up with places, cultures or sectors that are unrewarding or unsatisfying. They want their working lives to be fulfilling, challenging and worthwhile. That means we need a culture of communication.

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A common theme is that people are no longer willing to put up with places, cultures or sectors that are unrewarding or unsatisfying. They want their working lives to be fulfilling, challenging and worthwhile. That means we need a culture of communication.

The old vision of a C suite exec addressing a company like a politician at a rally has long been consigned to the dustbin of history, and rightly so. Today we need a culture where everyone feels they can speak openly and honestly to whoever they need or want to. As Colt's CFO, this is important to me on many levels.

Communication carried through

At Colt, senior people look after different territories. I have the honour of the Indian and German markets. At heart, I’m a finance guy, which means numbers: logic, rules, transparency. I like to carry that into every aspect of work—and it doesn’t stop at numbers. That ethos applies when it comes to people, too.

Clear, honest communication is what organisations thrive on, and the example should come from the top. I work hard to make sure every individual I’m responsible for has not just a line of communication open to me, but can also recall the last time they spoke to me.

I do what I call the ‘virtual tour’, on which I connect with every team, including HR, network and service delivery. These informal half-hour meetings are strictly manager-free. I learn a lot about not just what people do, but about how they do things, too. The nuances of the different teams, styles, approaches and dynamics give me an authentic feel for how people are getting on.

These chats are very much two-way dialogues, in which I can also communicate strategy, goals, and the thinking behind what we do and why we do it in that way. You bring people with you and keep them engaged with what's happening. The feedback I get on?the 'coffee chats' is tremendous. Never underestimate the power of a few light refreshments to open those spaces and make them a place where people will talk.

Surveys and being heard

I combine these sessions with engagement surveys that are part of a wider Colt initiative. When we brought these in, we got so much useful information that we could confidently change things for the better.

We began these informal meetings to dispel the mystique of the ‘big boss’—as well as to ensure that everyone knew their voice could and would be heard. Along with knowing what contribution their own role makes to the overall mission of the company, this is also key to letting people know they are valued, not cogs in a wheel. This is integral to ensuring they can contribute fully to the company. Study after study has shown that people unvalued when they don’t feel heard, and then feel disempowered from speaking up and innovating the kind of thinking a company needs to advance its teams, functions and departments.

Winning talent—and keeping it

The market for talent right now is challenging to say the least. One US estimate from 2017 reckoned it can cost a third of an employee’s salary to replace them when they leave. While that may vary from region to region, it still shows just how costly, disruptive and time-consuming can be.

As more and more organisations move toward flatter hierarchies and smaller, more integrated team structures, turnover actually becomes even more of a problem. The time it takes to find a new person to fill a role, along with the cost and then the training and education to get them up to speed, can have a major impact for existing team members. But a culture of open, clear and available communication means people don’t get as frustrated or disaffected as they might if they felt there were no one to talk to and listen to their concerns.

Forging a culture like this isn’t easy—but the benefits to the workplace are incomparable to any other way of doing things.

Forging a culture like this isn’t easy—but the benefits to the workplace are incomparable to any other way of doing things. A better workplace means better retention, lower turnover and greater engagement. People stay longer, develop personally, and get more satisfaction from their work. That translates to more productivity, better performance, and good business.

Meetings, activities and spaces

One Columbia University academic recommends weekly meetings with direct reports, as well as meetings with wider teams at least monthly. Along with lots of good stuff like post-mortem debriefs, state-of-the-union communiqués and 360 reviews, he recommends informal social outings. Bowling, a picnic, a night out, a picnic—[DT1]?whatever people like, it can be that last strand of a strong weave of communication. Outside the office, among trusted colleagues, sometimes that last little detail of an issue can come out, and to the benefit of all.

Finding gold

If you can’t attract or retain talent, you simply won’t have talent—you’ll just have functionaries.

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No good manager, whether a team leader or a CEO, wants to address a silent, reluctant mass of employees who are unwilling or feel unable to talk. Every company’s gold is in their people—and now more than ever. But if that value is locked away behind antiquated attitudes of who can say what to whom and when, the workplace will remain forever unappealing. If you can’t attract or retain talent, you simply won’t have talent—you’ll just have functionaries.

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