“Average players want to be left alone. Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth.”
Doc Rivers
Great sports people surround themselves with instruments that will deliver them feedback that they can use in search of every possible opportunity to improve.
In business, we'll all agree that effective listening is a habit that great communicators cultivate, but is that the same as seeking out feedback? How about seeking out feedback explicitly from employees?
We believe that employee feedback holds the key to so much improvement; here are just five ways that listening to your people makes you a more effective leader.
1. Employee feedback helps you understand your business better
Your employees know the needs and frustrations of your customers. They also know the day-to-day problems that your business faces because they face them. These are the best opportunities for your business to improve.
2. It improves your situational and contextual awareness
Faced with complexity and uncertainty, paying attention to what your employees tell you improves your ability to determine not only the right course of action but also the right style and tone you need to adopt to communicate that action. Effective leadership is, after all, all about context.
3. It gives you a vision of the reality on the ground
Done it the right way; employee feedback can give you knowledge and insights into the day-to-day reality of your employees. You might be surprised at how different their reality is from your perception.
Creating an environment in which your people feel able (and encouraged) to share their experiences and challenges will give you a much clearer (and unfiltered) picture of life inside your business.
4. It shows you care
This almost doesn't need explaining. When we feel like we're being listened to, we feel like we're being cared for. It's precisely the same when we feel heard at work. It makes us feel like we matter and we belong.
5. It increases your capacity as a leader
We all come at things from different perspectives. Being open to the ideas and perspectives of others around us increases our leadership capacity. Being open to feedback and new ideas from your team helps you learn and grow as a leader.
Leadership isn’t a title, and it’s not a position. It’s not tenure, and it’s not rank. Leadership is about capacity — being the type of person who’s able and willing to learn, be courageous, tackle difficulty and question the status quo.
Jeff Boss
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If you want to create a healthy and thriving workplace culture, here's the one thing you need more of - employee feedback.
“Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change.”
Tom Peters
