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Welcome to this month's edition of
The Quest for Workplace Excellence (on-line
edition.)
Last month we shared tips for giving feedback
to others in such a way that the recipient values your input and
is motivated to take action. (Click
here if you missed last month's issue.) In this
issue, we’re continuing our discussion on the importance of
feedback, but shifting our focus. This month, our comments are
directed at you, the leader. Most of us know what we’re best at,
and can readily give you a list of our strengths. But can you
identify the areas where your employees feel you still have room
to grow? If not, chances are you need to be asking your
employees, “How am I doing?”
Strive for excellence, not perfection,
Peter B. Stark
and Jane S.
Flaherty
Feedback - Is It Better to Give or Receive?
It takes guts, courage and confidence to
periodically check in with your employees and gain their
feedback on your strengths and the areas where you have
opportunities to become even more effective in your leadership
role. If you don’t ask, you can’t have an accurate view of
reality from your employees’ perspectives. Here are some tips
for gaining valuable feedback from your employees. This feedback
will help you continue to grow and develop as a leader, as well
as help you build an even stronger relationship with your team
members.
1. Routinely Ask for Feedback
Make it a habit to frequently ask for feedback from your
employees. When meeting with employees one-on-one, ask for their
general insights regarding what is going well, and talk about
areas where the team could be even more effective. Then, ask
questions such as, “Is there anything you need from me to be
even more successful in your role?” or “Is there anything I
could do to be an even better manager?” Routinely asking
questions like these clearly conveys to employees that you value
their input, are open to change and intend to keep on learning
all you can about leadership. It also indirectly says to
employees, “I value not only what you do for us, but what you
think about how we can improve things around here.”
2. Clarify the Feedback
Routinely asking for feedback is the first challenge. The second
is, what to do with the feedback, particularly when it surprises
you, or you don’t agree with it? Our best advice is to ask
questions to gain additional insights. For example, an employee
may say, “You’re never around when we get customer complaints.”
Rather than initially responding to the comment directly, ask
questions to gain greater understanding. For example, “I
appreciate you sharing your concerns. This is important to me.
Can you give me some examples of customer complaints that have
escalated?” or “How often am I needed to get involved in
customer concerns?” Asking questions gives you specific
information that you can use to more appropriately respond to a
comment, particularly one that has blindsided you.
3. Don’t Defend Your Position
If you have the guts to ask, you’ve got to have the guts to
listen. Understand that the feedback being shared with you is
from that employee’s perspective. Ask questions to gain a deeper
understanding about where that perception is coming from. Get
specific examples. Don’t defend your position. Don’t argue with
the person giving you the feedback. If you do, you completely
negate your request for feedback and insure that the
employee isn’t coming back to you again. Instead, when they have
issues with your leadership, they may tell other team members,
or your boss, but not you. Rather than defending your position,
first listen for the specifics and then begin thinking about
what you could do differently to change the employee’s
perception.
4. Thank the Person for Giving You Feedback
While it takes courage on your part to ask for feedback, it also
takes courage on the part of the employee to give you feedback.
When an employee shares with you their ideas as to how you could
be even more successful in your leadership role, look them in
the eye and say “Thank you. I appreciate that feedback. If you
didn’t care about my success, you might not have said anything.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about how I could do that
differently.” Routinely asking for feedback and taking action on
the feedback not only helps you grow as a leader, it keeps your
employees coming to you and not your boss!
Asking for feedback from your employees and acting on their
input will help you become the best leader possible. So, what’s
stopping you? Connect with one of your employees today and ask
how you’re doing.
“The greatest of faults . . . is to be conscious of
none.”
−
Thomas Carlyle
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