The feedback you receive from your team can help you grow and become better in your role as a manager. Without knowing your team’s perceptions of your actions, you might be making mistakes that hurt your career and the overall organization. While some people are comfortable giving you honest feedback, others are not. To help them speak up, consider the tips below.
To encourage genuine feedback, express to your team how much you value their opinions. If they think their words are not being heard, they will be less likely to talk with you.
As part of expressing the importance of feedback, explain to your workforce why you value the feedback. For instance, it is essential to your development as a manager.
Prepare in advance when you approach employees to garner feedback. The purpose here is to choose a time that is appropriate for the workplace.
For example, you likely will not want to ask for a detailed evaluation of your work performance right before a big deadline. In this scenario, the person you ask is likely distracted.
Also, give employees advance notice that you will be asking for feedback rather than spontaneously asking for it. That way, they can prepare for the meeting to provide you with details that bring valuable insights.
Before the meeting, plan the questions you want to ask to gain feedback, whether relating to employee onboarding or another aspect of your job. The best questions are those that help you advance in your career and develop in the current role. Thus, the ideal questions will vary, depending on the workplace and personal goals.
One to consider asking is, “How can I improve my communication?” Another suggestion is, “How can I prepare for upcoming projects?”
If you ask once for feedback and don’t receive a response, don’t assume that there is nothing to improve. Instead, reach out regularly for feedback to help encourage it. This activity doesn’t have to be a chore. Talcura’s Onboarding solution runs automated surveys to help you improve the welcoming process for new hires.
Furthermore, gaining the trust of those you work with is integral to earning an honest response. When meeting regularly with the team, you strengthen the bond with them, which helps them feel a sense of safety that encourages honest feedback.
Receiving honest comments is the starting point for improving your work performance. Take the time to think about the responses and how best to act on the suggestions. If you are unsure if a particular recommendation has merit, you might ask others for their opinion.
Then, choose which points to focus on and start to create a plan for improvement. It can be helpful to brainstorm goals and then create practical steps to achieve each one within a particular timeline.
It’s important to recognize, too, that there will be times when you cannot act on the feedback. Finally, individually thank those who have taken the time to help you, either in-person or by email. Your gratitude will help build stronger relationships, and they will likely be more receptive to meeting again in the future.
