When was the last time a teacher took feedback from their students, about their methods of teaching? When did they last ask them about the things that THEY need to improve, to smoothen the learning process?
Education is supposed to be about the students, isn’t it? Then why is the feedback of a teacher not the primary focus of the schools? Similarly, as a business owner, when was the last time you took genuine feedback from your team to improve their performance?
Remember, a business owner’s first and foremost goal is to help his team do the job better, and not the other way around. For that to happen, you need to take consistent feedback from your team. However, a Harvard Business Review report explored why it is that business owners are not able to receive consistent, honest feedback from their teams. What these challenges are, and how you solve them is what we’re going to learn today.
The Challenge To See
The one person business owners fail to address when evaluating performances in the company, is themselves. The failure to apply self-introspection at work makes it impossible to analyze the flaws in their own performance. How well do you communicate? To what level do you perform? How well-maintained is your work schedule? Because most business owners do not self-introspect, and shy away from open criticism from their teams as well, their own performance often hinders the growth of their business.
The Challenge Of We
The second challenge that one may face when receiving feedback, is biasedness. Suppose you do not share a positive rapport with a team member at work, would you be able to listen kindly to his feedback about you? There’s a chance you may not. But, if the same words were addressed towards you by a team member you share a healthy relationship with, the feedback may not sting you as much.
One should not reject feedback purely based on the source. By being open to feedback from all sources, you allow yourself to learn and grow from different perspectives.
Also Read: 10 Tips To Reduce Unconscious Bias In Work
The Challenge Of Me
Feedbacks are always there for the receiver, not the giver. All individuals have a set of personal choices, including the way they wish to receive their feedback. Your liking direct, to-the-point feedback may not imply that another person would do too. They might want their feedback to be well articulated, elaborative, and present a detailed view of their performance.
One must not assume their preferences to match the same of others. It’s important to understand that feedback must not be approached with a one-size-fits-all mentality. It is essential to understand your team’s choices and preferences when it comes to feedback.
Also Read: How To Deliver Consistent Quality Products To Customers?
Conclusion
Regular feedback is the biggest gateway to open communication, a positive culture, and a healthy work environment. By actively seeking and receiving feedback from your team, it becomes easier to identify the areas of improvement, working on which would streamline the operations of the company to a great extent.
Feedback requires an individual to be open-minded, and challenge themselves to be able to change. How you adapt that behavior in yourselves and your team, is what we are going to discuss in my upcoming blog.
Want to improve upon communication to elevate your business? Reserve your call with me today!
