Leaders often believe that they have answers to every question. While being in this position does come with a lot of advantages, this doesn’t necessarily mean leaders know everything. The truth is it is impossible for a single individual – regardless of his/her experience – to see the whole picture. Often times, when leaders make bad decisions, they blame the low employee satisfaction level in the company. Many workers feel undervalued, and this doesn’t just affect CEOs and managers, but also the bottom of the company they’re working for.
Crowdsourcing company decisions may help leaders leverage ideas, input and various thinking ways of other people, thus have the ability to make the healthiest choices. When employees and customers are engaged in the most active way, companies see visible increases in work performance. Here are some guidelines on crowdsourcing company decisions:
Crowdsourcing aids business leaders overcome biases
Sharing ideas with employees makes them feel valued and appreciated. Basically, you’re asking them for advice, and by talking at them and not to them, you show that you’re interested in hearing their input. Crowdsourcing keeps you away from bad decisions, and in some ways it makes you think choices from various perspectives. By sharing an idea and supporting employees to participate with theirs you create value. This helps you focus on the goals of your company, stay true to broader objectives, and boost employee engagement.
Crowdsourcing fosters better ideas
People who are the closest to a certain issue usually have the most productive ideas for solving it. Even though many employees would want to bring a contribution, express their thoughts and help your company thrive, very few have the nerve to speak up. Simply put, in front of leaders workers don’t feel comfortable. What can you do to change that mentality? Your people shouldn’t be afraid of pitching in with ideas; in fact, you should welcome them to speak their mind. Who knows, maybe one of them comes up with a brilliant idea and help your company increase the overall production level.
Crowdsourcing boosts company culture
Believe it or not, crowdsourcing has the power of changing the role of a leader from a demanding boss who sends commands to an open-minded peer with a thorough understanding of challenging situations. This sends an extremely important message to employees – what they believe matters to you. Workers are pleased to see that a boss, manager or supervisor genuinely cares for their opinions. This changes the whole ambiance inside the company; people will be more engaged and motivated to do their jobs right. Modern companies that want to get out of their comfort zone and set themselves apart from the completion should be open to change. In this case, case is all about crowdsourcing and fostering a collaborative work environment.
Crowdsourcing helps companies meet different needs
Your brand is impacted by various demographic groups in some very interesting ways. If you crowdsource decisions, you meet the needs and expectations of your employees; this is important because by meeting their demands you address directly at them, and you show that you value their input. In the long run, this approach increases productivity and it helps you understand what they need to stay engaged.
Implementing crowdsourcing the right way
It’s easy to get too involved when implementing crowdsourcing leadership decisions. Rather than complicate things too much, you should keep it light and simple. As a leader, you must step up your game and connect to your people. For example, you can organize weekly brainstorming sessions.
Gather everyone around and discuss a problem that’s been bothering you all week long. Work together to find a solution, cooperate, and welcome everyone’s ideas; provide constructive criticism if necessary and make your employees feel appreciated. This can have a great effect on your company’s level of recognition.
Employees should be encouraged to speak up and cooperate with their leaders. Crowdsourcing can make that happen. By sharing ideas with your people you show that you care, and nothing matters more to an employee than appreciation. Financial incentives can’t buy engagement, but they play an important role in their overall level of satisfaction. Companies should make employees feel like part of a team, and the only way they can do that is by collaborating with them.
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