One question we frequently hear from small business leaders is, How do I solicit feedback and ideas from my employees?

I was going through the archives for our IDEAS newsletter today and came across the following exchange from my interview with Pamela Davis, a 2005 Winning Workplaces Best Boss who founded and leads California-based Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group.

She provides a specific – and adaptable – answer to this question.  Better yet, her tip is cost efficient.  Check it out:

What measures do you have in place to encourage employees to speak up?
First, we have a program that I started called Candid Council. Anyone can join, and there is no incrimination. It meets on an informal basis – as needed or periodically.

We also have a suggestion box. Anyone can put in a suggestion; it’s confidential. It’s by the coffee station, and only I have the key.

From my experience, I have junior staff come up and ask me questions. Some junior staff thought senior staff were not making the best decisions in terms of serving the company in the long term. They came to me for clarification and found it, confidentially and without starting a rift between them and senior staff. It ended up being a good learning experience for all of us.

How candid is the Candid Council?
Examples of issues that are discussed include:

1. How the compensation system works here.
2. Promotions: What’s the process to work toward them? How are they done?
3. Improving communication in the organization. Staff wanted more information regarding the right way to disseminate information to avoid information overload.
4. We grew so big in recent years that we didn’t have a space large enough to hold all our employees. We found a solution by meeting nearby, off site every six weeks or so. The location we chose is within walking distance of our offices; on those days we close the office at 3:30 so we can all meet together.

If you don't have a mechanism like this in your workplace, there's no better time to implement it than the present.  Think of the employee engagement and team building stories that will come as a result!

Related: Our Success Story on Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group.