Doing business is complex. With so many factors to consider, both internally and externally, influencing the experience and the results for everyone involved, goals and strategies to account for all of the statistics and information gathered while doing business can become incredibly complicated and even more difficult to translate to the team expected to execute these specific and detailed plans. Whew! — Much like the previous sentence, complexity needs to be simplified in order to be effectively communicated and understood throughout an organization.
A study by global brand strategy and experience firm, Siegel+Gale shows that simple workplaces lead to more engaged employees and better business results. Below are insights from the study and how CMOs can leverage the insight to drive better organizational results.
Siegel+Gale’s Simplicity at Work Findings
- Only one of out of five employees find their workplace truly simple. The vast majority find that the environment within which they work is too complicated.
- Clear communication drives simplicity. Organizations that communicate clearly from the top about their purpose, values and business goals tend to be simpler. These workplaces convey how employees’ roles impact relationships with clients and ultimately, drive business results. Simple workplaces foster psychological safety, engendering trust and workplace effectiveness.
- Simpler workplaces help make innovation easier. 54 percent of employees find it easier to innovate in simpler organization.
- Simpler workplaces are associated with easier recruiting. 65 percent of employees are more likely to recommend that somebody apply for a job at their company.
- Simpler workplaces impact employee loyalty. 84 percent of employees plan to stay longer in their job and 95 percent are more likely to trust their company’s leadership.
Margaret Molloy, global CMO of Siegel+Gale, has this to say “There’s little doubt that employees are the new brand influencers in virtually every industry category. Enlightened CMOs are keenly focused on having an engaged workforce. Our Siegel+Gale research quantifies the relationship between simple workplaces and an engaged workforce. There’s a gaping opportunity for companies to invest in simplifying workplace practices in order to foment brand champions, enhance customer experience and drive business performance.”
Molloy suggests that CMOs can help build a culture of simplicity by starting with fixing the basics. “Companies can achieve greater simplicity by evaluating organizational processes, goal setting, incentives, structures and communications. What are the barriers to workplace productivity? Adopt plain language and set time limits and goals for all meetings. Drive for clarity and ubiquity on company purpose and clearly communicate how employees’ roles are tied to business goals.”