Initial Survey Findings
In the 2012 survey, there were three consistent themes about people and two about processes.
Themes related to people included:
1. Employees felt weary, drained of energy, and lacking direction or a sense of power due to the mergers of several companies, ongoing restructuring, and a quest to integrate and streamline cultures and processes.
2. The company employed a calibrated performance management system that was incorrectly perceived by employees to be part of the downsizing. The unintended consequence was that it exacerbated the underlying fear of job loss.
3. Cost containment measures, necessary but painful, were implemented and created further frustration among employees.
Themes related to processes included:
1. Technology complaints, ranging from slow, unreliable field computers to hard-to-use systems to product websites that were difficult to access. Respondents called for a return to a culture of simplicity and eliminating redundant processes.
2. Employees were lost in decision-making requirements. Some said that it was time to flatten the organization to better align with Sanofi’s vision.
Since organizational change is the composite result of personal behavioral change among employees, the survey questions identified perceptions and actions consistent with the company’s four core competencies:
• commit to customers
• cooperate transversally
• act for change
• strive for results
Using these four competencies and adding self-awareness and communication skills from the Team Advantage™ targeted skillsets provided the six high performance behaviors that were measured in the research.
As is often the case with initial surveys in a struggling environment, once employees feel confident that they won’t be harmed by their candor, the floodgates open. In this case, 1,660 of the 1,901 respondents used the unlimited comment space, which translated into more than 100 pages of often emotionally charged appeals for change. Comments are a rich source of candid insights and provide employees with a sense of catharsis by allowing them to verbalize their suggestions and aspirations for the company.
Quick and visible action demonstrated to employees that their voices were heard and heeded. While solutions to the broader issues were being digested and explored, some simple wins helped get employees’ attention, such as relaxed meeting attire, the re-introduction of team building activities and the increased opportunities to telecommute. These quick fixes were followed by tangible process improvements such as accelerating deployment of iPads to field reps. Other improvements such as reducing decision layers and revising a ride-along system for field sales helped to further show employees that they were valued and respected. This supplemented the increased leader communications, improving transparency and trust in leadership.
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