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Listen to your employees" is one of the most tried-and-true pieces of advice for managers. Yet, in many organizations, it is heeded about as often as the recommendation to not eat too much at Thanksgiving dinner.
For Karen Waninger, who assumed the role of director of clinical engineering at Community Health Network, Indianapolis, about 6 months ago, it is more than simple hyperbole. Among a myriad of other changes she put in place, in December her e-mail address started doing double-duty as a suggestion box.
"I think one of the most important things I can do is just ask for their ideas," Waninger says. "They have a lot of insight into how ...