Last April, we launched our management essentials series, focused on helping managers, executives, and entrepreneurs get and stay effective. We rolled out two parts, in which we discussed “thinking big picture” and staying proactive.
Now, we’re relaunching our series with five new parts, which we’ll be posting on Tuesdays from now until the New Year, to get you prepared for an outstanding 2016.
Giving and Receiving Feedback
When it comes to business relationships, communication is always a two-way street. Knowing how and when to respond to feedback from your employees is often just as important as knowing how to deliver it.
When your team encounters a roadblock, a group brainstorming session should be the first task in order to clear the path. Communicating as a group puts the focus more on the root causes of the issue, leading to creative solutions that prevent the problem from occurring in the future. When carrying on discussions about problems in your business, make sure to not only address how the problem at hand can be fixed, but also work to develop long-term solutions.
Furthermore, effective leaders should aim to practice clarity, objectivity, and transparency in their communication; this is where the phrase, “actions speak louder than words” comes into play. A manager who advocates for transparency and fairness must also practice these principles in order to earn the trust of the group and ensure these values are reflected in their team.
Next, when dealing with complex tasks that involve numerous personnel who have different working styles. In these situations, the best managers make it a point to facilitate communication between team members, helping parties clarify priorities and keep keep projects on task.
Finally, when giving and receiving feedback, creating en environment in which team members feel comfortable sharing their opinions is of the utmost importance. Along that same vein, there must be an understanding that all feedback is meant to be constructive, and should not be taken personally. When feedback is viewed as way to make the business better as a whole, rather than personal criticism, conversations will be more productive and lead to better results.
Starting next week, work on developing a system for giving and receiving feedback within your company or small team. If this seems intimidating, start with something as small as asking each team member to choose an individual quality to improve on before asking team members to provide feedback to one another. Let us know how it goes!