When you include employees in your decision-making on issues that directly impact their work, there is a greater chance that they will embrace the decision as their own and effectively implement it. You are also more likely to make a practical decision informed by the collective wisdom and experience of the work unit. Through the free marketplace of competing ideas, the truth marches forward.
There are times when it is necessary to abandon employee participation in decision-making. For example:
>Time is limited
>You are in a crises mode
>The decision is mandated from above
>There is only one viable course of action. Any other decision will lead to a compromised result.
> The group lacks the cohesiveness, mutual acceptance or commonality of purpose to decide. They also lack the knowledge and competence with respect to the problem.
But in general, when you don’t listen to employees, it’s all too easy to jump to conclusions and commit to actions that are ill-advised. When you don’t listen, employees believe that you don’t care about them as thinking and feeling individuals–that their role is to simply follow directions and not ask questions. This perception ultimately leads to employee complacency, resentment and feeling of victimization.
