Why Great Leaders Don’t Just Give Feedback, But They Solicit It Too

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” Bill Gates

Feedback is a gift, an opportunity to grow and thrive.  It is not failure but a chance to show up in a different light with a big impact.

Have you ever heard yourself say the following things?

• Could you be overreacting?
• I’ve done this a million times; I know what I am doing!
• No one has ever complained about my approach before, and look how successful we are!

Sound familiar? It can be an easy trap to fall into; believing our past success paves the way for our future success.

Giving feedback to our teams is often daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. We sit down and go through their goals, progress, and performance. We pass on words of wisdom, encouragement, and, at times, corrective feedback to adjust or fine-tune behaviour.

Here’s the rub, we are not the most competent person in the room. Our teams, employees, and colleagues are as intelligent and capable as we are. We all do great at some tasks and can improve with others. As individuals, we come to the table with different strengths, experiences, and perspectives.

What does this mean to us as leaders? It means asking and soliciting ongoing feedback from team members sets everyone up for success. Understanding how we show up, land, and resonate with our colleagues gives us the gift of feedback.

We know you are already really good at what you do; otherwise, you wouldn’t have your current role. What we know to be true is that everyone on this planet can show up every day just a little bit better than the day before. We know that tiny micro changes daily add to significant changes over time. No one loses 100 pounds overnight, nor does anyone pivot their leadership style in a nanosecond. It takes time, self-awareness, and discipline.

Soliciting feedback does not need to be time-consuming or emotionally draining, and be as easy as 1, 2, and 3! We offer you three easy steps to solicit feedback from your teams.

Feedback, as easy as 1, 2, and 3: 

1. Continue 

• What would you like me to continue doing as it is
• • adding value?
  • supporting you?
  • empowering you?
  • _________ (fill in the blank)

2. Stop

• What can I stop doing to
  • ensure I don’t interfere going forward?
  • create more harmony in the team?
  • to become a better listener?
  • _______(fill in the blank)

3. Start

• What would you like me to start doing to
  • build trust in the team?
  • create more opportunities for you?
  • avoid that situation from occurring again?
  • _________(fill in the blank)

Additional tips to keep feedback front and centre in your organizational culture are:

1. Keep the meetings short and frequent.
2. Keep your tone and body language open and receiving.
3. Don’t defend your position.
4. Probe and ask open-ended questions.
5. Set your intentions for learning and growing.
6. Stick to a consistent format to give your team time to adjust and to develop the habit of soliciting feedback.
7. Become a high-trust leader (See our blog on becoming a high-trust leader.) 
8. Lead by example, as change starts with you.

Soliciting feedback can be scary and overwhelming, no question. However, it is necessary to maintain a growth mindset, build teams, retain and attract top talent, grow and prosper, and most importantly, develop into the incredible leader you are meant to be!

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Creating a culture engrossed in feedback sets every company up for success. Our specialty is working with emerging or seasoned leaders keen to level up to be their best selves. Contact us today at info@leadvantage.ca to learn more about our leadership development training and coaching. www.leadvantage.ca