I recently wrote a blog based on a company in the US who have adopted a process for CEO's who need to engage a 3rd party to come and 'listen' to his/her employees - WTF? 

I have mixed views that a CEO who engages an external company to become the ‘employee listener’ in order to uncover savings and productivity issues is healthy leadership over the medium to long term.

For me it’s says more about the key issues with Culture confusion, and tangible lack of meaningful employee engagement which can only be driven by great leadership from the C- Suite & especially the CEO.

That said, I do recognise that most businesses are indeed stuck in a ‘fixed mindset’ as such an outside influence can help to reset transformation thinking, but definitely NOT the ownership which again I insist should include the HR function.

That said I’ve never believed that complete reliance of an external 3rd party over any long period of time is healthy for the company, culture, or growth.

Share price of a company is just an indicator of a markets view of a set of numbers +/-, not a great barometer of transformation or culture - just ask Zuck!

Social media is here, it’s the enabler or blocker of tangible employee engagement - FACT.