What does it mean when employees ask questions?
In the most simple terms, something isn’t clear. It could be a policy, a procedure, it could be a message from a supervisor that had inadvertently been watered down, or miscommunicated. If you really focus in on the underlying reasons for the question in a non threatening way, you can determine where weaknesses exist that might cause problems down the road for an organization.
It could be a safety rule, hey, where do I get my P.P.E.?
Do I have to wear fall prevention?
Where is the closest fire extinguisher?
How often am I supposed to do this quality check?
Do you know if this widget is good or bad?
Does the forklift or the pedestrian have the right away?
Where am I supposed to put this checklist?
All simple questions, right? The employees want to do the right thing and get it right. How great is that? In a continuous improvement mindset, listening to what people are saying or in this case asking, can have a significant impact on our productivity and ultimately, profitability.
Listen and prioritize what needs to be tweaked, I can assure that not there is more than one person who isn’t clear on something, and often the consequences could be very serious. Listen closely, and ‘see’ what you hear.