New Study Finds That, Above All, Employees Desire a Higher Sense of Accountability and Individual Empowerment in the Workplace

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Feb 13, 2012) - Fierce, Inc., a world-class communication training and leadership development company, today announced the results of a survey of nearly 800 corporate executives, employees, and educators across the finance, healthcare, retail, aerospace, and defense sectors. The survey provides new insight into employees' perception of workplace practices and the disconnect between the priorities of managers versus employees in terms of workplace communication.

To ensure that everyone is putting their best foot forward, organizations create practices, both written and unspoken, with the overall goal of supporting their employees, but are these 'best' practices really leading to success? Many employees actually feel their organization's workplace practices are ineffective -- an assertion supported by the 44% of Fierce survey respondents who claim that their company's best practices actually hinder employee productivity and morale. In fact, another 47% reported that their organization's current practices consistently get in the way of desired results, rather than optimize the overall success of the business -- a primary function that a company's best practices are meant to fulfill.

While these practices are established with the best intentions, it's clear that most are missing the mark when it comes to supporting the needs of their workforce. When asked which practices hold their organization back, nearly 50% of respondents identified a lack of company-wide transparency and too little involvement in company decisions as key areas of concern. In addition, nearly half of survey respondents identified the most beneficial practices as those that encouraged accountability, development, and individual empowerment within the organization. It's clear that in order to implement practices that are beneficial to the individual -- as well as the organization as a whole -- companies must foster an environment where individual efficacy is encouraged and where communication is both elicited and valued.

While the survey supports the notion that today's employees are seeking transparency within their organization, it doesn't stop there. The results also indicate a widespread desire for businesses to elicit diverse opinions from all members of the organization around which company practices need to be modified or adjusted, such as:

• 70% of respondents said they would candidly approach decision-makers within their organization if they felt that a company practice needed to be re-evaluated or adjusted.
• Among respondents who reported limited benefits from their organization's current practices, less than one third felt that their company was willing to change practices based on employee input and feedback.

"These widely accepted practices are not only ineffective, they are costing our companies billions of dollars, driving away our most valuable employees and customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers," said Halley Bock, CEO of Fierce, Inc. "This survey should encourage managers to question the practices in place, and actively engage their staff in creating new policies that are geared more toward transparency and employee empowerment."

Although the fact that nearly three-quarters of respondents said they would approach decision-makers is good news for businesses looking to elicit feedback from their workforce, there still remains an alarming gap between which practices managers are actively seeking to prioritize and which practices employees need. To address this disconnect, Fierce seeks to help employees and managers build the communication skills necessary to implement change, instill engagement, and drive business results.

Fierce, Inc. will unveil these survey findings and host a training session aimed to empower action-based solutions at the Training 2012 Conference & Expo from February 13-14th, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Conference is an expansion of Training magazine and Lakewood Media Group, LLC., and is recognized as the definitive event on skill-building content, assessment, measurement, and instructor-led learning.

For more information about Fierce, Inc., visit http://www.fierceinc.com.

About Fierce
Fierce, Inc. is an award-winning leadership development and training company that drives results for business and education by developing conversation as a skill. Fierce creates authentic, energizing and rewarding connections with colleagues and customers through skillful conversations that lead to successful outcomes and measurable ROI. Tailored to any organization, Fierce principles and methods translate across the globe, ensure individual and collective success and develop skills that are practical, easy-to-learn and can be applied immediately. Fierce's programs have been successfully implemented at blue-chip companies worldwide, including Ernst & Young, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, CARE and Crate & Barrel. Fierce has been received numerous industry and business accolades. The company has twice been honored as an Inc. 500|5000 company, and in 2011 was named to TrainingIndustry.com's Companies to Watch list and Seattle Business Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For list.