How can managers become effective leaders?
Employee surveys might seem like an unlikely tool to help your managers become better leaders. But through surveys, leaders gain valuable insights into the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of their employees, allowing them to make informed decisions, strengthen communication, and ultimately steer their teams toward success.
Allow us to explain further.
The managers vs leaders conversation could be a whole in-depth discussion in itself!
But in essence – managers oversee day-to-day operations, making sure tasks get done efficiently and targets are met. Managers are often focused on the “what” and “how” of getting things done.
On the other hand, leaders lean into the “why” – nurturing a sense of purpose and direction within their team. Leaders inspire and guide their teams towards a common vision or goal and really get them thinking about the bigger picture. Leaders are people who set the tone, motivate their team members, and help them grow both personally and professionally.
We believe embodying characteristics of both a manager and a leader is where the magic really happens.
If you can effectively lead your team members in a way that makes them feel valued, inspired, and empowered to achieve their goals – you’re on your way to championing a winning workplace culture.
At Stribe we believe there’s one characteristic that trumps all the rest when it comes to being a great leader – and that’s being a good listener.
If you’re a good listener, you become someone who understands, and people who understand can take action. It is these simple things that create a recipe for implementing positive change in workforces.
Of course, there are plenty of other qualities and characteristics that are essential to being a good leader. The Centre for Creative Leadership outlines their top twelve:
As a general rule of thumb, employee surveys should be conducted at least once or twice a year to maintain a consistent feedback loop – pulse surveys should be run more often.
However, the frequency will vary depending on your organisation’s size, industry, and specific goals.
Common survey mistakes include using overly complex or biased questions, failing to communicate the purpose and anonymity of the survey, and not acting on the feedback received.
For meaningful insights, you should design surveys with clear objectives, encourage honest responses, and establish a plan for action based on the results.
Employee surveys should cover a range of topics, including job satisfaction, communication effectiveness, wellbeing, leadership quality, and opportunities for growth. Using a survey software platform like Stribe can help you build the best surveys for your team and organisation’s goals.
