How about some feedback?
We’ve all heard the words ‘can I give you some feedback?’. For many of us, feedback can be triggering - but it can also be enlightening. As a leader, it’s not enough to just give feedback to your team, you should solicit it as well. Processing feedback goes beyond listening in the moment and implementing action – it involves reflection, conversation, and practice.
We can all think about how we receive and process feedback. As a leader, you might think you know what your strengths and development areas are, but without an understanding of how what you say and do impacts others you’re unlikely to improve the habits, behaviours, and practices that may be holding you (or those around you) back.
This external self-awareness comes from asking others to share how they experience you. If we don’t ask the question of what is working and what isn’t, how do we know what to do more of and what to do differently?
A key part of encouraging feedback is creating the right climate - one that creates psychological safety and trust. Dr Amanda Potter, CEO of Zircon, and host of the Chief Psychology Officer podcast, describes psychological safety as a ‘climate or feeling… if you feel safe at work, you’re likely to ask questions, make suggestions, to innovate and to solve problems… if you feel safe, you’re likely to speak up with candour’.
So, what’s holding leaders back? In a HBR article, Deborah Grayson-Riegel suggests there are five common barriers we might face in receiving feedback, with tips on how we can overcome them:
Worrying about whether you’re even open to feedback – it’s often expected that downward feedback will be given, but unless people are explicitly invited to offer upward feedback, they might not even know the option is on the table. Help frame the request for feedback around your commitment to self-improvement.
Apprehension about ‘doing it right’ - like most things, to do it well you have to keep practising. Create a culture that values feedback as part of continuous development.
Fear of retaliation – direct reports may worry that giving feedback could interfere with their future opportunities. Demonstrate empathy and humility to help encourage upward feedback.
Concern about hurting your feelings – feedback when not delivered skilfully can activate feelings of social rejection, and others may be concerned about damaging you and their relationship with you. By demonstrating self-awareness and acknowledging what you already know, you can help mitigate their fears.
Suspicion that nothing will change as a result of the feedback - giving feedback is hard, but giving feedback that doesn’t result in anything improving is even harder.
Soliciting feedback without addressing it and acting quickly erodes trust, as it undermines your sincerity and reliability. Keep actively, openly, and assertively inviting others to give you feedback, and be clear about what you’ll do with it.
As much as you might believe that you’ve created safe and welcoming conditions for your direct report to give you feedback, don’t penalise them for not doing so. Regularly assess your leadership privilege and do what you can to make sure you’re getting the feedback you need to grow and develop.
In the words of business executive Pamela Gill-Alabaster, “continuous learning leads to continuous improvement… be a lifelong student.”
