Real change happens when you are pushed beyond your comfort zone. Most times you look to your manager to give you feedback that will help you raise the bar. This feedback will usually happen one or 2 times in the year during your performance reviews, or hopefully more frequently, as and when the situations arise.
However, there is another hidden form of feedback that can be hugely valuable, and that is from your team - described by peers, cross-functional stakeholders and even your own direct reports.
Companies tend to structure this as “360” feedback which generally coincides with a promotion or a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). However, it would be nice if this kind of feedback could be obtained more frequently, wouldn’t it? Wait actually it can! You just need to create the right conditions to get it.
If you want your team to give you real feedback, these 5 techniques have worked well for me -
🤝 Ask for consent - While you might be eager to receive feedback, others might not be as eager to give you feedback. Reasons could range from not wanting to antagonize you, possible retaliation or just not being used to giving feedback. Be cognizant of their time and be humble in your ask. Additionally, I have often found using phrases like “Please don’t hesitate to give me your true thoughts, no holds barred” to be quite effective in soliciting real feedback. Keep in mind, if you ask for it, you will receive it.
⏳Give time to think - Members of your team might not be managers themselves, so they have never had to exercise that muscle. Asking people to give you quality feedback on the spot will result in topical answers. If you want to get real feedback, give them enough notice so they have time to think about various dimensions.
🤲 Discuss the feedback - When you have received the feedback, don’t get defensive. Instead be curious about why they think that way. It’s never easy but just remember that this is going to only make you stronger. As tough as it is in the moment, think of the “future you” receiving this game changing feedback.
🙏 Be authentic - Do not solicit feedback if you don’t intend to act upon it or are offended by it. Don’t have ego and don’t be vindictive if you receive feedback you did not expect. If you take offense and castigate someone for feedback you solicited, that will undo all trust, not just with the person but across the organization. Remember, your team has had to gather the courage and put in the work to give you feedback, so be kind.
♻️ Follow through- Act upon the feedback you’re given, in a way that shows the giver that you are attempting to make progress. If you keep asking for feedback and not act on it, it will create disillusionment in your ability to take action.
Feedback is an important tool in your growth arsenal and should be used surgically. Using this technique too often with not enough bias to action, can cause it to lose its sheen. However, used the right way, coupled with the feedback you receive from your manager, your team feedback can turbocharge your performance and give you the context you need to operate at the next level.
If you liked this article, please ❤️ to give me feedback! If you agree/disagree with anything, please leave some comments on the article and we can discuss!
📚 This Week’s Top 3
- It’s 2024 and its frustrating to see the feature flagging ecosystem to still be highly fragmented. @wesbos’s thread shows what I mean → Link
- Wendii from Manager Tools writes amazing thought pieces. Love this one from her about how to go about writing articles → Link.
- Big fan of Nat Friedman (ex-CEO Github) and love the principles of life that he is recorded on his website under “Things I believe in” → Link
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