Giving and receiving feedback is a crucial element in running a successful business. Without it, bad management habits, slow work processes, and ineffective policies have the opportunity to proliferate and potentially destroy a company from the inside out. Unfortunately, as important as feedback can be, not everyone knows how or wants to be honest and forthright with their opinions. This can be due to feeling uncomfortable with confrontation or fear of retribution, but constructive feedback can be a stressful and difficult task to place on employees. Here are some ways to help you ease the anxiety of these discussions in order to get more honest feedback from your employees.
Learn to hear what isn’t being said. People tend to withhold their thoughts by keeping their mouths shut, but their body language may reveal their true feelings. Tune into the way your employees and team members respond to you with their posture and eye contact. If their nonverbal cues contradict their words, or if the level of engagement suddenly drops off, take a moment to tactfully and politely call attention to your observation. Allow them the chance to vocalise their concerns and adjust yourself accordingly. By demonstrating your willingness to take into account the way they react to you, as well as your readiness to change course as needed, your team will learn to trust you with future feedback.
Listen. Data has shown that the more you listen, the more people trust in you and your ability to give, as well as receive, feedback. Encourage your team to speak more sincerely by practicing empathic listening. Taking notes (one or two word phrases is enough) and validate their perspective when there is a pause. Integrate your thoughts into the conversation and ask questions. Show them that when they speak, someone is listening and valuing what they are saying.
Maintain strict confidentiality. Feedback is a complete waste if the individuals involved do not trust each other. In order to foster a relationship with your employees that will enable them to feel comfortable enough to offer candid feedback, confidentiality must be assured and respected. If there are certain legal limits to how much confidentiality can be guaranteed, such as a real threat of violence in the workplace, let them know from the beginning what you are obligated, by law, to report. Everything else must be kept confidential so that your employees feel safe from any form of punishment or revenge by those who they may not have glowing remarks about. This includes you too!
Have an action plan. You must be willing to make changes in your own behaviour or with how the company is managed in order for feedback to be worthwhile. Your employees are more likely to offer up constructive criticism if they feel that their comments will lead to a difference and make an impact in the future. If people voice their concerns and are not taken seriously or their remarks fall on deaf ears, they will wonder what the point of saying anything at all will be. If you solicit and receive feedback, listen openly and thoughtfully, then brainstorm ways to address the issue. Commit to taking action.
