12/21/10 3:10 pm Boston Wow Thing

Mother Henn, I do agree with you – actually, I agree with you a lot. I see that your and my takes on some of these questions evoke similar responses. Great minds think alike or so they say!!!! Sue and Danielle are creating a huge sense of inclusion throughout the organization and creating a bond that connects every office to the work we do on a daily basis and I am proud to be part of that connection. You are doing a FANtastic job! So, I am going to take some poetic license and I am going to answer this question from the perspective if I were starting my own company.

I would create a culture where an open door is a way of daily life and communication flows easily. I must clarify I don’t use the term open door to mean no chain of authority should exist. I encourage a chain of authority for development, communication, resolution and accountability purposes.

I would attempt to establish a trustful relationship – by building relationships with the staff so items can be discussed and reviewed before they become issues. I would conduct one-on-one interviews and get to know staff - find out what is important to them, what they think their contribution is and what it can be. I would hold “town meetings” of sorts where ideas are shared, items are addressed and no whining is allowed – bring your issues, but be sure to be equipped with some solutions. I would make sure that I had follow through to ideas presented – if the ideas could not be implemented for various reasons, I would make sure I got that info back to staff. If the ideas could be implemented, I would communicate that as well and give credit to the person that made the recommendation. Follow-through helps in securing the trust of staff.