Improve employee relations by asking rather than telling
Sometimes it’s not what people say but how they say it that matters. Take the game show “Jeopardy,” for example. A contestant can have the correct answer, but if they forget to phrase it in the form of a question, they don’t get credit for it.
A new study from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business suggests that people might also have more success in the workplace if they adopt the “Jeopardy” method. That means asking, rather than telling, especially when talking to managers.
The research team that worked on the study used a series of surveys to ask hundreds of workers and managers in the United States, United Kingdom, and China about how workers suggested changes in their organizations.
The research team found that managers were more likely to take employee comments seriously and more likely to agree when the suggestions were phrased in the form of a question. For example, those who said, “We need new client management software” were taken less seriously than those who said, “Should we look into a new client management software?”
Study co-author Daniel Newton, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, explained that using such a voice elicited a higher sense of power in leaders and may have even led them to believe they played a part in coming up with the idea.
This is an especially strong tactic when approaching dominant leaders — those who like to be right all the time — because receiving indirect questions makes them feel more powerful as well as more likely to green light an employee’s idea if they think it’s a good one.
It’s also a way for an employee to show respect for the manager, rather than drawing a line in the sand and coming across as pushy. Newton said it’s a way to defer to a manager’s experience and expertise. In addition, presenting information like this can lead to an honest answer.
I’ll take employee relations for $100
Researchers concluded that employees could use the study’s findings to initiate change in their organization with less risk of alienating management. At the same time, managers should be aware of how their employees voice suggestions and the content of their suggestions.
“Instead of saying ‘We need to have fewer meetings to increase productivity,’ you’ll have more success if you ask, ‘Have we thought about having fewer meetings to increase productivity?’” said Newton.
Key to remember: A group of researchers has concluded that managers are more receptive to employee suggestions when those suggestions are presented in the form of a question — “Jeopardy” style.
