Try these methods to put together your employee roundtable

Accessibility is essential—but what’s the best format for you company’s culture?

There are probably as many ways to solicit employees’ feedback as there are management styles.

How do you know which method is right for your company? You could choose an all-hands meeting, an all-department meeting, managers-only or invitation-only. It could be three-hours long or 15 minutes, featuring a prepared speech or an interactive question-and-answer.

The format, length, audience—even the venue—depend on your objective. If it’s to solicit employee questions, you might opt to limit audience size, allow just one question per employee and provide an audience microphone. If you want a friendly, open, and spontaneous performance by your CEO, then ditch the teleprompter.

Regardless, C-suite involvement is a must.

“The CEO truly has to be ready to be open and to take the tough questions,” says Becky Lynn, director of employee communication at the Zoological Society of San Diego. “They have to truly be transparent enough and confident enough to respond. Work with your CEO—he or she needs to be ready. Otherwise don’t do it; it could just cause more harm.”

The Knowledge Café