How is the culture in your company? How do you know? How much have you thought about the dynamics of your team?
An underappreciated opportunity to gauge how well your company is functioning is to ask those who work for you. Asking for feedback isn’t easy for a lot of us, but what you don’t know might actually hurt you in this case. As entrepreneurs, we naturally fall into the leadership space and part of that role is providing regular feedback to our team, but so many bosses forget to ask how they are doing in their role.
This may seem unnecessary to some, after all, you’re in charge so you may feel like it’s not your employee’s responsibility or place to tell you how you are doing, but I challenge you to think differently about this old dynamic. I’ll give you 2 great reasons you should listen to what your team has to say:
This helps build trust and respect between you and your team. When you ask for their opinion they will feel heard and valued.
They see things you don’t. We can’t see ourselves in action and let’s be honest we tend to have a blind spot for our own flaws.
Trust me I am not saying every piece of feedback you receive is right, but when someone takes the time to share a perspective with you it’s at least worth taking the time to try and see their point of view and where that feedback may be coming from. Asking for feedback is also an effective way to evaluate the happiness and dedication of your team. The quality and depth of insight they provide can help you determine their level of commitment to your company and if they might be a stronger team member than you initially thought. Someone who provides thoughtful insights and better yet, solutions to problems they bring to the table is someone you know cares about your business.
Where to start? You can be direct, but this might catch some people off guard and not everyone will be ready or willing to open up in this scenario. Here are some thoughts to help you get started:
A good place to start could be when you are providing evaluations/reviews. Your team will know when it’s evaluation time so ask them to show up with some feedback as well. These should always be a conversation versus handing an employee a piece of paper and moving on anyways.
If you don’t currently have a review process or you’re uncertain about whether they will be candid provide your team with the ability to give feedback anonymously. Set up a box and give them a specific date to turn it in by.
Take some time to reflect on the feedback you received. Do not feel like you need to justify or respond right away. If they are giving you feedback in person thank them and let them know you will take time to reflect on it. Like I said earlier not all feedback is 100% right and if you hear something you don’t like you don’t lash out or make them regret being honest with you. If you don’t agree with the feedback you’ve received try seeing it from their perspective. Ask yourself what may have inspired it or consider asking them for more clarity to make sure you actually heard what they wanted to communicate. You may not like what you hear but after some contemplation, there may be something in there you can use to improve your business or leadership style.
Determine what needs to be addressed. Are there actionable items you should address? If so make sure your team knows how much you appreciate their honesty and insight and let them know what you are going to do with the information they shared.
Not only is growing a business a challenge but so is growing personally. Learning to accept and absorb feedback from others gives you the opportunity to improve your leadership skills as well as your listening skills. It’s amazing how much this simple exercise can improve communication with your team and encourage them to contribute more. The truth is simple, employees who feel valued perform better.
