Executive Search Solutions

The Cantor Commentary Winter 2004

Bridging the Communications Gap with Employee Focus Groups

The spring 2003 issue of The Cantor Commentary featured an interview with Michael Zimet and discussed the important role employee focus groups play within an organization and the strategies that can ensure their success. Michael is the president of Dialogue Solutions, an upstate New Yorkbased consultancy specializing in face-to-face and upward communications. In this issue of The Cantor Commentary, Michael explains how organizations can manage employee focus groups, generate employee support for the program and reap the benefits that directly result from straightforward employee feedback. Q: How frequently should employee focus groups be held? A: It is more worthwhile to integrate focus groups with other employee research programs than it is to simply hold them at predetermined times throughout the year. For example, if you conduct annual employee attitude surveys, it would be wise to hold focus groups after the results have been analyzed so you can gain further insight into the survey data. This is especially important because most surveys yield only statistical information, while focus groups enable you to obtain a more in-depth understanding of those statistics. A typical survey might reveal that employee opinions on a given topic are 25 percent positive, 15 percent neutral and 60 percent negative, or you may notice shifting trends in the responses. A timely series of focus groups could help you learn why employees feel this way, especially if the results were unexpected. This added, in-depth analysis makes the survey process much more meaningful and valuable. Q: What role do title, tenure, job responsibilities and other characteristics play when selecting focus group participants? A: These are all demographics that you need to consider when inviting employees to participate. Criteria will vary according to your organizations culture and your specific objectives. However, it is usually best to select for each focus group, participants with similar positions, job responsibilities and other characteristics. By doing so, you can more easily compare responses from different employee demographics. The participantselection process is among the issues you will need to discuss with the facilitator, who has the background and insight to help you develop the best groupings. You will also want to ensure that employees are never invited to participate in the same focus group as their supervisor or anyone else within their chain of command. Nothing could be more intimidating for employees than to enter a focus group and discover that their supervisor has also been invited to attend. This would be a guaranteed way to discourage both employees candid participation and confidence in the process. I also try to avoid

mixing management and non-management employees in the same focus group for the same reasons you want to create an environment where participants are completely comfortable expressing themselves. Q: What are the personality traits of strong focusgroup participants? A: In a perfect world, participants would not be afraid to speak their minds, nor would they monopolize the discussion. However, in the real world you will be selecting employees at random, so it is unlikely that you will have a room full of ideal participants. An effective facilitator encourages less assertive employees to come out of their shells and more vocal employees to share the stage with their colleagues. By striking this balance, everyone participates productively. There may be instances when you will want to include specific employees in your otherwise random selection process. For example, you might want to involve certain departments or groups that were not originally selected as part of the process. You may also decide to include some opinion leaders employees who understand their colleagues issues and attitudes and whose input may be especially constructive. However, use this approach sparingly. Your goal should always be a diversity of opinions and ideas, which is best achieved from a truly representative, randomly selected cross-section of employees. Q: How many employees should be asked to participate? A: The ideal focus group has between 8 and 12 participants. A higher number may not leave sufficient time for individual participants to speak. With a lower number, the group is so small that you could lose the group dynamic and interaction that make focus groups so effective.

Q: How can management address employee expectations that "things will change" because employee focus groups are being held? A: Focus groups are similar to surveys, town hall meetings and other outreach efforts in that they could raise employee expectations. However, this situation can easily be managed without alienating employees. The facilitator should remind participants that there is no guarantee that focus group input will result in any specific actions. However, the facilitator should also explain that what is guaranteed is that all ideas and contributions will remain anonymous, that findings will be reported to management candidly and accurately, and that management will review focus group findings. Q: How can the communications team alleviate the concerns of employees who have not been asked to participate? A: It is important to explain that participants are selected randomly to achieve a fair, broadbased sample representation of employees. However, you can become more inclusive and respond to some employee concerns by creating an alternate channel for other employees input, such as an e-mail address created solely for this purpose. Keep in mind that this type of input may be less reliable because of its unstructured nature and because it may represent only a small, relatively vocal group of employees. Q: For how long should a focus group be held and what format yields the best results? A: The ideal focus group typically runs between 90 minutes and two hours. This is usually sufficient to achieve your objectives and give participants adequate opportunity to express themselves. Because employee focus groups are quite different from consumer focus groups, their for-

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mat may differ from what some people expect. Consumer focus groups are often designed to solicit peoples opinions on a specific product or service (information that is neither personal nor sensitive) and are often observed in real time by clients through two-way mirrors. However, the purpose of employee focus groups is to encourage participants to candidly and confidentially discuss topics that may be more personally significant and that they would likely be uncomfortable discussing in a more public forum. I prefer a relaxed setting, such as a conference room that is located away from high-traffic areas. This type of venue provides a private, quiet environment where participants can express themselves more freely. Refreshments are also important. They are an added incentive, convey an immediate welcome and help create a comfortable environment. Attendance is limited to participants and the facilitator because observers and other guests only serve as distractions and inhibitors. Twoway mirrors should never be used. As the facilitator, I greet participants individually as they arrive and begin to create a bond within the group. This approach helps everyone focus on our common goal to hear what each person has to say and often entertain diverging attitudes and perspectives. Q: What are the most successful strategies a facilitator can use to generate constructive responses from participants? A: First, and most important, pay close attention not only to participants words but also to their body language and reactions to what others say. Following up with probing "how" and "why" questions can generate more insight into an issue. For example, if someone describes a situation, ask how he or she would resolve it. This provides an excellent opportunity to more fully explore the issue. Of course, there is no guarantee that the issue will be completely addressed. However, participants know that they are taking part in a process that is designed to identify issues and find constructive ways to deal with them.

Second, it may be appropriate to begin the session with a fairly open-ended question, such as, "If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?" Employees responses to this type of question often provide strong clues as to what their most pressing issues are. I usually use their initial responses as a springboard for exploring other relevant issues and, in the course of a few sessions, am able to develop a strong sense of what management needs to know. Third, make sure that everyone has an equal chance to express themselves. It is also important to help participants understand that although they may not always agree with each other, the diversity of their opinions furthers the focus groups objectives. Fourth, avoid agreeing or disagreeing with participants. This could compromise your objectivity and ultimately result in your losing credibility and their trust. When a participant makes a statement, an appropriate response would be to ask the others to add their opinion. Remind them that disagreeing does not imply that someone elses point of view is wrong. It simply reflects employees different perspectives and the focus groups position that all perspectives are welcome and valuable. Q: When focus groups are completed, what key follow-up steps should be taken? A: The most important step is to prepare a comprehensive report that details findings. While the direction may seem clear, preparing the report is time-consuming because it has to encompass activity from all sessions and include an accurate assessment of employee attitudes and feelings. This is less challenging when consistent trends surface at every session. However, it becomes more complex when feedback is more diverse, e.g., from one location to another or from long-time employees as opposed to more recent hires. The ultimate goal is a concise, well-written executive summary that captures the key points, followed by more detailed information and analysis in the body of the report.

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The best reports are more than a monologue in which the facilitator simply lists the issues. A good report should fully describe each finding, including, where appropriate, dissenting viewpoints, and reflect the findings importance to participants. When possible, it should also integrate anonymous quotes from participants so their opinions and ideas are expressed in their own words. This approach is very compelling because it represents more than the facilitators professional views. It also provides a first-hand look at employees personal comments and attitudes. After the report has been submitted, it is essential to provide some degree of feedback to employees. Management should share as much information as practical, and when appropriate, include an action plan that addresses specific findings. Some of my most successful focus group projects have resulted in management sharing my executive summary or selected excerpts with employees, along with a memo from a senior executive that communicates his or her awareness, understanding and intent to act on the reports findings. An action plan is especially valuable because it identifies specific changes and other actions that will be taken as a result of the focus groups, including a timetable for implementation. Nothing is more powerful than being able to say to employees, "As a result of your input, we are taking the following steps." This demonstrates that management is truly listening to employee concerns and taking appropriate actions. It is also an excellent way to strengthen employee trust, confidence and satisfaction within the organization.

Q: Do you see the value of employee focus groups increasing in the future? A: Absolutely. Although there are some technologybased approaches for conducting focus groups online, there is still nothing like the bonding and interaction that come from employees being in the same room with their colleagues and participating in a dynamic, real-time communication experience. I have had many people even those who are the most technology savvy describe how much they enjoyed the live, face-to-face interaction. There is simply no way to replace this experience for employees or have a better opportunity to learn what is most important to them. This is why focus groups as we know them today will always be a successful, effective communication tool. The Cantor Commentary is published by The Cantor Concern, Inc. for communications professionals Newsletter written by Mark Murray

Marie Raperto, President

The Cantor Concern, Inc.

315 West 57 St., Ste. 207, New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 333-3000 Fax: (212) 245-1012 www.cantorconcern.com

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