In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicholas Svensson, CEO of Calgary-based Smart Technologies, embarked on an unconventional leadership initiative that involved personally calling each of the company's over 600 employees. This direct outreach spanned a workforce distributed across 27 countries and aimed to understand individual perspectives on the economy, work conditions, and personal concerns. The exercise, though time-intensive, unveiled critical insights into organizational communication and employee sentiment that traditional channels had overlooked.
Svensson explained that the motivation behind the calls stemmed from a desire to know what employees were thinking and experiencing during the uncertainty of the pandemic. “I was sitting at home wondering what they were up to, what their worries were,” he said. While it was a departure from the norm, his prior experience in leadership roles where such one-on-one interactions were commonplace served as a guide. He acknowledged the challenge of remembering names but emphasized the value each person brings: “Every individual has some of the most interesting insights and some of the darndest ideas.”
During these conversations, Svensson made it a point to discuss employees' backgrounds, especially with newer staff, fostering a personal connection. Reinforcing appreciation for each person’s contributions was another key element; he often tied their work details back into the broader company mission to establish relevance and engagement.
The direct communications revealed limitations within Smart Technologies’ internal communication methods, particularly their reliance on town hall meetings. Svensson described asking employees about takeaways from these gatherings and being surprised by the lack of recall or engagement. This feedback prompted a reduction in the frequency of town halls from monthly to quarterly, shifting away from mere information transmission towards a more interactive dialogue. He reflected, “As a company, we were on 'transmit mode' but not on 'receive mode' to confirm whether the message was understood.”
The CEO stressed the fundamental leadership oversight in assuming messages were landing as intended. He also noted that while he is deeply involved in company direction, not all employees share the same clarity or motivation, making engagement all the more critical.
Conversations with employees surfaced organizational decisions that, while data-driven, did not align with employee sentiment. Svensson recounted reallocating resources away from a particular area based on performance metrics only to receive strong employee feedback indicating the move was premature, with the team feeling they were just reaching a turning point. This led to the acknowledgment of an organizational mistake and a commitment to correct course—a decision directly influenced by frontline staff input.
Further feedback came from the product development group, where engineers expressed frustration about frequent shifts between projects and changing priorities. Acknowledging this issue, management decided to ensure projects are seen through to completion before initiating new ones. Svensson observed this structural adjustment fostered greater willingness among engineers to commence new projects promptly and to fully commit, improving operational efficiency and employee morale.
Svensson likened his regular one-on-one calls to an organizational audit. Though there was some initial concern about perceived fairness regarding who was contacted, the practice afforded him a broad understanding of company health and individual challenges. Post-call, he would follow up with managers already informed by the direct dialogues, helping to align leadership with on-the-ground realities.
While the personal calls now represent around 10% of Svensson’s workload and occur annually, their value remains significant. These discussions provide a real-time pulse on company climate, contributing to a sense of calm leadership informed by accurate, firsthand insights. Svensson’s approach highlights the importance of two-way communication in leading a complex, international technology firm through turbulent times.