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October 19, 2006

Research = Listening

I couldn't have said it better myself. That's why you simply must read this article on MarketingProfs by Jay Lipe, ““The Art of Listening: Market Research Tools That Any Company Can Use” on how important (and easy) it is to conduct research. (Note: you may need to subscribe to view the article, but the subscription is free.)

Many people I know in HR and communication conduct research only occasionally: the bi-annual employee attitude survey or the once-every-so-often communication audit, for example. Although Mr. Lipe is primarily focused on external audiences, not employees, he makes the point that research doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive or extensive. In fact, he advocates using simple techniques to conduct research on a regular basis.

When you come right down to it, he writes, research is really all about listening: “For thousands of years, people have conducted market research. I don't mean with fancy focus groups or complicated conjoint analysis, but just by asking questions and listening to the answers.”

Research has a number of benefits, as described in the article, including the fact that it can deepen relationships. Again, Mr. Lipe is most concerned about external stakeholders, but his point applies equally to the company/employee releationship. “The bottom line is this: People like it when you ask for their opinion. They feel they are contributing to your company’s success.”

I urge you to read Mr. Lipe’s article—and to think more about how you can use research to improve the work you do with employees.

Posted by Alison Davis at October 19, 2006 04:55 PM