Questions that can save lives

According to documents released by Boeing, one of its employees said in an email that the 737 Max was “designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys.” Another one said he would not let his family fly on the aircraft.

Are your employees having similar conversations about your products and services? Are you actively trying to learn about these conversations? Are employees encouraged to speak up? Do you have a confidential reporting channel?

And if employees do share their concerns with their managers, do the managers know how to listen? Do they know how to escalate the concerns? Do they know how to follow up? Do they know to provide regular feedback to the employees?

Answering these questions can save time. It can save money. And, in rare occasions, it can also save lives.