What you team's reporting culture says about your business

If you feel like you are always the last to know about issues in the workplace, or that you are running from one fire to the next, then these things may be a symptom of a bigger problem in your business.

There are a lot of reasons why teams fail to report incidents. They may be too busy, apathetic or scared of the repercussions but whatever the reason, it is likely costing your business time and money.

Failing to detect and then investigate incidents is not only a missed opportunity to learn and improve, but the next time it happens could end up being significantly more expensive than the first.

Signals to look out for that your business doesn't have an open reporting culture:

1. 🔇Silence in meetings: If employees rarely speak up, challenge ideas, or offer feedback in meetings, it may indicate they don’t feel comfortable expressing their thoughts.

2. ⏰Lack of escalated issues: No news is bad news. An absence of reported problems or concerns could suggest that employees are withholding important information. This can be exacerbated with incident targets and kpi’s.

3. 👋High turnover or low morale: When team members feel unheard or unable to report concerns, they can often vote with their feet.

4. 📝Over-reliance on formal channels: If employees only report issues through rigid, formal processes and avoid informal discussions, it might signal a lack of trust in leadership.

5. 👌Consistently positive reports: If all reports are positive and charts are green, it may mean employees fear repercussions of sharing bad news.

6. 💬Limited feedback in performance reviews: If leaders aren't receiving honest, constructive feedback during evaluations, employees might not feel empowered to speak their minds.

Leaders need to be attuned to signals that the business is giving. This can be in the form of information provided but also information that isn't. Leaders must commit to identifying the early warning signs of failure, as investigating minor issues early is far less costly than dealing with major crises down the line.

Reach out to ⚡Virtus Advisory⚡ to discuss.