Kuwait managers are poorer communicators than they think
Key Kuwait Findings of GCC Study
• Only 60 per cent of employees in Kuwait feel that their organisation’s business objectives are properly explained to them
• 24 per cent of Kuwait employees surveyed do not feel that they receive the information they need to do their job well
• 27 per cent of employees do not feel valued for the contribution they make
• 31 per cent of managers believe it is not necessary for staff members to understand how their job connects to their company’s business objectives
• 45 per cent of managers admit to following decisions made by others without fully thinking through the consequences
A new study has revealed that managers in Kuwait are not as good as they think they are at communicating their organisation’s business objectives to their employees.
The findings are published in Middle East Corporate Reputation Watch 2008 – Getting the Message Across, a survey of more than 500 managers and employees in the GCC conducted by leading communications consultancy Hill & Knowlton, using YouGov Siraj.
The study found that while 87 per cent of Kuwait managers believe they make a point of explaining their organisation’s strategic objectives to staff, only 60 per cent of employees in Kuwait feel that these objectives are properly explained to them. Only 66 per cent of employees believe that their direct manager helps them to understand how their job connects to their company’s business objectives.
Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of employees surveyed in Kuwait do not feel that they receive the information they need to do their job well while 27 per cent do not feel valued for the contribution they make.
While 97 per cent of employees would like to develop their skills and advance professionally in their job, only 57 per cent feel that the way to do this been properly explained to them. In this respect, Kuwait employees feel better informed than their colleagues in other GCC States: only 46 per cent of all employees across the GCC believe that the path for their professional advancement has been properly explained to them.
Fran McElwaine, Director of Change and Organisational Communications, Hill & Knowlton Middle East, commented, “The Kuwait findings are broadly consistent with the results in other GCC States. They suggest that, although managers in Kuwait understand the importance of communicating with employees, many of them are failing to get the message across.
“This is a vitally important issue for corporate managers in this region. Companies are under pressure to lift productivity and it is becoming harder to attract and retain top talent. The ability to engage employees and align them with a company’s strategic objectives is a key to better motivation, productivity and staff retention.
“International research suggests that highly engaged employees try 57 per cent harder, perform 20 per cent better and are 87 per cent less likely to leave than the less engaged employees identified in the Hill & Knowlton study.”
Many employees in Kuwait also believe that their managers are simply not listening to them. Most managers (83 per cent) agree with using staff feedback when making decisions. However, only 67 per cent of employees believe that their manager usually acts on employee feedback.
Decision deficit
A possible reason for the disconnect between managers and employees may be that many managers do not feel empowered to communicate, or even make, decisions.
Sixty-six per cent of Kuwait managers believe that making decisions increases the chances of being blamed if something goes wrong. Almost half (49 per cent) of all Kuwait managers believe that keeping a low profile at work will help ensure their position is safe. Forty-five per cent admit to following decisions made by others without fully thinking through the consequences. The lack of decision-taking appears to be higher among Kuwait managers than those in other GCC States: across the region, only 31 per cent of managers admit to simply following decisions made others.
An information vacuum
The lack of effective communication by managers has led many employees to look elsewhere for the information they need. Only 70 per cent of Kuwait employees think their manager is very useful for obtaining important information, while 45 per cent rely on external media and friends for information about their job.
Managers themselves admit that the responsibility for communicating with employees is often pushed off to specialised departments such as Marketing (20 per cent), Human Resources (31 per cent) or Internal Communications (27 per cent).
Seven per cent of Kuwait managers say they don’t know who is responsible for internal communications in their company. Thirty-one per cent of managers believe it is not necessary for staff members to understand how their job connects to their company’s business objectives.
Kevin Hasler, General Manager, Kuwait, Hill & Knowlton Middle East, said, “The findings of the Middle East Corporate Reputation Watch 2008 indicate that organisations in Kuwait and the Gulf generally can do a better job of structuring their internal communications effectively. There is real potential for companies across the region to improve morale and productivity by creating structures and systems for employee communication.
Importantly, there is also an opportunity to empower managers with the skills to cascade information down through their organisation. To achieve this, managers need practical advice and the right tools so that they can communicate with employees in a way that is meaningful, relevant and accessible.”
For more information and a copy of Middle East Corporate Reputation Watch 2008 – Getting the Message Across, please contact Fran McElwaine, Director of Change and Organisational Communications, Hill & Knowlton Middle East. Email: fran.mcelwaine@hillandknowlton.com.
