Building a Feedback Culture

CONGRATULATIONS on being a leader who recognizes there’s room for improvement within your organization! No, that’s not facetious. It’s actually a big deal that you not only recognize there’s room for growth but are willing to seek out resources that help you grow.

As I was starting this business, the most common feedback I’d receive from people when I would tell them about what I do went something like this: “Wow, I really wish you could talk to my boss.”

Oof. I’ve been there. I’ve been the aggravated employee who wanted alignment because I believed wholeheartedly in the mission of the organization, but also struggled to reconcile that passion with following the appointed leadership. It burns great people out and creates high employee turnover rates.

I’ve also been on the flip side of that as the leader. I would ask each new employee to have a 90-day review with me. No, it wasn’t a review of the employee. It was their job to review me. I wanted to know what blindspots I had as the leader.

Here’s what I learned from those reviews:

1. Employees who feel heard and validated are often more communicative and respectful.
   
   This meeting gave employees the opportunity to feel like they had a voice and that I wasn’t above reproach. It requires humility, but occassionally my team would lovingly call me out to help make me a better leader. Why? Because I gave them the freedom to speak up and know their voice would be heard.
   
   Do you have to take everything to heart? No. But if handled well, you establish trust and respect where they know they can share and not be criticized, and you continue to grow as a leader.
   

2. It creates an all-for-one mindset.
   
   By my employees knowing they were valued, respected, and had a voice in the organization, they bought into the mission. Together, we could chase after the mission and vision without stumbling over one another. Collectively, we could voice concerns, challenge ideas, and feel confident owning our responsibilities with the support of the team backing each of us.
   

3. They receive constructive feedback more easily.
   
   Since they had reviewed me, when I needed to address concerns or redirect efforts, it was much easier. Knowing they could speak openly with me also opened the door to receiving constructive feedback more positively.
   

   We also built rapport so ongoing communication became more fluid and I didn’t have to have structured meetings to address items and discipline actions (for the most part).
   

4. The leader’s constraints will be the company’s issues.
   
   The first time I heard a similar statement, it was a massive gut punch. Realizing that my issues and limitations would also become those of my team and organization was beyond humbling.
   
   I left the meeting where I heard that and immediately apologized to my team for the areas that I knew I had been holding us back. They lovingly encouraged me and affirmed the truth in those realizations, and THEY helped me create a plan to move beyond those constraints.
   
   As Craig Groeschel says “people would rather follow a leader that is real than one that is always right.”
   
   When you hire competent employees who are a great culture fit, you can trust them with the results of the mission, too. But that type of culture is created from the top down.

When we take a good, hard look we can begin to understand the unique complexities, misalignments, and breakdowns of the organization - and perhaps our places with room for improvement as leaders - to drive more effective change. However, this isn’t accomplished by accident. It takes active engagement and a willingness to not have all the answers to soar to new heights.

Do you need help ensuring you’re the right leader for your team? Let WM Consulting help you take a “PULSE” on your organization or provide coaching. Contact us for a free consultation conversation to get started.