Robert Macleod - Feedback, the food of champions!
Firstly, a very Happy New
Year to you. I hope that 2010 is healthy and successful for you.
This year happens to be our 15th anniversary as a company. To
celebrate it and thank you for your support over the last 15 years,
we've made an offer of £150 off any assessment booked this month,
and 15% discount off selected events and workshops. If you've not
received a letter from us, please contact our customer service team
for more details.
Reflecting back on the last 15 years reminds me of all the
changes that have occurred. We're very different now and many of
the changes we've made have been as a result of feedback - the food
of champions! A manager I had once taught me that, and it's
something I've encouraged to receive and also offer to others. So
it was interesting to hear that GMTV ran an article about giving
feedback to your boss recently on morning prime time TV! It
reported that giving feedback to your manager helps to reduce your
stress levels by helping him or her change their behaviour to be
more effective, thus promoting a healthier working environment for
everyone! Sounds great doesn't it, but is it achievable?
I think there are two sides of this to consider; the member of
staff and the manager, so let's take the member of staff first.
Giving your manager feedback can be quite a daunting thing. They
are more senior than you, so shouldn't they know anyway? Plus there
is a fear of reprisal as they might not like what they're being
told. So it's something that many people avoid and just put up with
their manager's behaviour, but is that healthy? Remember they do
say "individuals tend to leave managers not organisations".
But what about the manager and their perspective? Like it or not
there is a status to being a manager, a seniority perhaps, and
being told you're not as good as you could be by a member of your
team isn't necessarily what you want to hear all the time, after
all you are the manager. So it'd be human to resist it straight
away, but isn't this missing the point. I believe we're all shaped
by the environments we live in and if you want to develop, get
better and feel good about achieving more, then you need feedback
and an environment where it is freely exchanged. So perhaps we have
a Mexican stand off with both parties resisting giving and
receiving feedback, which isn't doing anybody any good. How can
this be overcome?
Well, in my mind, it's down to you as the manager. You create
the environment in which your team works and therefore you need to
take the lead and change it, so that this beneficial feedback can
be collected in a non-threatening way. One way of doing this, and
perhaps a starting point, is to gather some anonymous feedback via
a questionnaire on what do I do well and what can I improve? I say
this is a starting point, as where you need to get to is a point
where you share your feedback verbally face to face, such as in a
development review. This will allow you to find out what you can
change and improve as a manager, essential if you're keen on
getting better at what you do or want to reduce your stress levels.
Another way might be to gather it from your fellow managers, but
again gathering it from your staff should be your ultimate goal.
Remember, feedback isn't just about improvements but also about
what you are good at too!
So for 2010, ask yourself 'where do I get my feedback from and
how can I get more of it?'
Happy New Year!