Creating A Culture of Feedback
"No Feedback = No Productivity"
In my reading of Buy Back Your Time this week, Martell shares, “the F-word will save your business." The F-word represents feedback. Martell asserts that most people are shy when it comes to giving feedback and that's especially true up the chain of command. You have to create a culture of feedback in your business to be really good at it and see gains from it.
Now, I don’t think it’s just that simple. It takes a lot of maturity for a company to have feedback as a part of its culture.
Lose Your Ego
To be able to accept and internalize feedback, and actually harness it constructively for improvement, you have to let go of your ego. And that’s hard for a lot of people. In general, people come to work wanting to feel like an expert in their lane, and there’s certainly a lot of pride that comes with that. But pride and ego make it really hard for constructive feedback to allow you to make progress.
Create a Safe Environment for Feedback
For most, trust is earned. And trust is the bedrock for the creation of a safe environment for sharing feedback. Strong relationships are built on trust. Consider thoughtfully how you’re formed trusting relationships in your life. How can you translate that method of using trust to create a safe environment at work?
Lead by Example
“But all of that starts with one simple step: when the leader invites the feedback. You have to be willing to go first. Giving feedback is way easier. Asking for honest and critical feedback regardless of the reason takes guts. That is where the magic is.”
The first person who ought to seek feedback is always the leader. You should regularly be asking your team, where and how can I do better for you? That starts with reinforcing the daily mindset of a servant leader. It is also important to be intentional about asking this question regularly – in your one-on-one meetings, and your annual and semi-annual reviews. Feedback will undoubtedly increase your company's productivity by making everyone aware of deficiencies.
Accept or Reject
Most importantly, when you start to invite feedback, you need to be willing and able to action on that feedback. I think one of the worst things that can happen for a relationship is that someone goes outside their comfort zone to provide constructive feedback, with the expectation that they are sharing in a safe environment and for the betterment of the team, and yet nothing is ever done with it. It was all for naught. There will be resulting feelings of betrayal, resentment, apathy; and those are certainly feelings you don’t want festering on your team.
It is also okay to reject feedback. But, out of respect for the relationship, you better explain yourself and why you are making an intentional choice to not take action on that feedback. Hopefully the teammate providing the feedback can understand your logic, and there are no resulting hard feelings between the two of you.
Does feedback make the team better?
Yes.
Give an A-player feedback and they will take it and run with it. They will make themselves better because you helped them grow by showing them where they have room for improvement.
Feedback also gives employees an opportunity to share dissatisfaction with their work. McKinsey & Company reported 70% of employees find their life's purpose inside their jobs. If you aren't helping people feel that, they'll leave for a place where they can. Feedback means retention.
Could feedback be destructive?
Absolutely.
Make sure you action on accepted feedback in a timely fashion. If you don’t, trust will be damaged, and resentment and hate will spread among your team like a poison that causes pain from the inside out.
Be intentional about the culture of feedback you create and cultivate. Be the mature and gutsy leader who leads by example – and you will see the magic happen.
Written by Schuyler Williamson
REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.
Weekly Email List: https://www.schuylerwilliamson.com/weekly-leader-note
God Bless!
~ Schuyler Williamson