Communication and Cooperation

When we analyze the depth of Communication and Cooperation, we want to know whether a positive attitude of communication and cooperation permeates the organization. Are people encouraged to ask questions? This is a no-brainer. If people can’t ask questions, how can they be held accountable? How can expectations be set effectively, let alone met successfully, if there isn’t a culture that encourages questions?

Zooming in on just the current year’s data, we see broadly positive responses. A third of organizations ‘always’ encourage employees to ask questions and another third ‘usually’ do. That doesn’t seem too bad, but why isn’t it better?

How does Alicia’s organization measure up in this area of Communication and Cooperation? Remember, she likes things to be predictable and perfect. She struggles when things get out of place, out of order, out of sync.

Is she afraid to ask questions in a situation like that? What about her direct reports and their staffs – does Alicia encourage them to speak up when they have a question? Is there too much eroded trust for people to feel confident asking a question when they need to?

You could imagine a more open, trusting, and communicative culture would help things run more efficiently and have a lasting positive impact on business.