Asking Team Members What Slows You Down or Makes It Harder to Do Your Job

Reports indicate that the new Chief Executive Officer of Walmart, John Furner, in his first company-wide memo since taking over, said he had a “simple ask:  Tell me one thing that slows you down or makes it harder to do your job.”  The new Chief Executive said he will spend his first few weeks visiting facilities and talking directly with workers to understand what improvements are needed.  Reports indicate that certain other prominent executive officers are taking the same approach.  

This writer has long recommended the use of company “roundtables” in which the management meets with varying small groups of workers and ask them how the company can help them better do their job.  Such meetings can begin with an update on how the company is doing and significant company developments, followed by a question and answer session.  Even when there is no pre-announced goal of asking them how to help them do their job, employees at such roundtable meetings often make such suggestions.  

There are enormous advantages to such an approach.  First, these steps show the company cares and is interested in its employees, allows the company to ascertain in advance employee reactions and opinions, and also allows the company to gain important information to improve its business as well as its relationships with employees.

This article is part of our March 2026 Newsletter. 

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