How To Create a Culture of Feedback as a Business Leader
As business leaders, it's impractical to be immersed in every minute detail of the operation – there simply aren't enough hours in the day. This reality can often lead to blind spots, leaving certain issues or challenges unnoticed. Sometimes, team members may harbour frustrations yet choose to remain silent. It isn't always a matter of leaders being unapproachable; at times, it's the absence of an environment where feedback is actively sought. Such situations underscore the importance of fostering a culture that values open communication.
However, this dynamic can change and evolve. By taking initiative and encouraging open dialogue, leaders can pave the way for more transparent interactions. The significance of genuine feedback cannot be overstated. Not only is feedback an instrument of growth, but its essence becomes truly transformative when leaders proactively seek out a 'Truth Teller'. In doing so, they position themselves to be better informed, more adaptable, and, ultimately, more effective in their roles.
Harnessing the Power of Constructive Feedback
Fostering an environment of genuine feedback and transparent communication is a journey, not a destination. Trust is the foundation of this culture, and it's important to understand that trust is earned, not given overnight. To embark on this journey and lay the groundwork for trust, here are eight strategies we suggest that will guide leaders in becoming more open to feedback:
Seek It Out: Initiating the conversation by directly requesting feedback from your team is the foundational step.
Be Specific: Avoid generic questions. Instead, target specific areas to gain actionable insights.
Double Up: Ask both about your strengths ("What's good?") and areas needing improvement ("What could be better?").
After-Action Reviews: Reflect on major projects, discussing outcomes and pathways to better results. We suggest you couch these reviews as “learning opportunities”.
Consult a Truth Teller: Identify a confidant who can offer unfiltered, sincere feedback. Ultimately, you want an organisation who has no inhibition about offering unfiltered feedback.
Stay Attuned: Observe subtle cues around you; they offer glimpses into others' perceptions of you and/or the situation at hand.
Seek Clarity: If feedback is vague, don't hesitate to ask for elaboration.
Embrace the feedback and stay curious. There is nothing worse than seeking feedback, someone stepping in and offering their views, for it to get debated, argued, or dismissed. Seek to understand, not to be understood, is a principle we strongly suggest.
While soliciting feedback is integral, embracing it is equally crucial. A business leader's journey to grow from what they have learnt from the feedback involves silencing internal negativities and biases, and focusing on the core feedback message, ensuring a trajectory of constant learning and improvement.
Cultivating a feedback culture isn't a task with a finish line. Instead, it's an ongoing journey with no straight path. But for business leaders, it's vital to ensure this culture remains a constant, becoming the backbone of the business. This ensures that every new member can sense and align with it.
Being receptive to feedback and taking actionable steps based on it is a system we strongly advocate for. We believe it's an integral part of any business leader's growth strategy.
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