 If you’re like me and often follow lorries and vans along the road with signs stuck on the back asking you to call a number and report on the competence of the driver, you will marvel at the irony; for it is these drivers that possess impeccable road manners, driving considerately and within the law. Yet, the lunatic in the Luton who is hurtling up the outside lane of the M6 before cutting you up on the inside, has no such sign on display. Funny that. It’s the same with hotels; those with pristine rooms and impeccable service are always the ones who leave a ‘how are we doing’ feedback form for departing guests to complete. Yet the bug infested hovel with sticky carpets and service that makes Basil Fawlty look like a Master Restauranteur would never leave a request for feedback in your room.
The word ‘Feedback’ in the workplace conjures up negative connotations for so many people. Subordinates and peers alike dread hearing the words, “Can I give you some feedback?” And many Supervisors and Managers fail dismally at feedback-giving, either because a) they perceive that feedback amounts to criticism (and that’s not nice) or b) because they simply don’t know how to deliver constructive feedback correctly. Some will fluff around the issue and not get the message across, whilst others go at it like a bull in a china shop, giving their direct report a right royal roasting – sometimes in public.
Mechanisms for reporting on performance in the workplace are wide and varied; performance appraisals, 360 degree appraisals, end of job reports, toolbox talks and the ‘chat’ with your Supervisor (or work mate in the car park) to keep you on track. However, what they pretty much all have in common is that it is the other person initiating the feedback. It is the Manager, or the Supervisor, or even a colleague who makes use of these feedback methods to communicate their views and opinions on other people’s performance. The feedback-receiver is left waiting in the wings, wondering whether the response will be a character assassination or a pat on the back.
So how about if we all took a leaf out of our exemplary lorry driver’s log book, and proactively asked for feedback? What if we designed our own process for receiving feedback? How much more receptive would we be to the views and opinions of others if we requested their input in the first place? Now, maybe sticking a sign on your back asking “How am I doing?” isn’t exactly your cup of tea, but there are many more possibilities. Ask the ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ questions (what can I stop/start/continue doing) at the end of a team meeting. Design an on-line survey to send out to colleagues and customers. Periodically e-mail selected people to ask for their comments on what you do well and what you can do even better. Or simply be brave enough to just ask the question.
Whatever method you choose, make it your own and make it happen. By actively seeking out feedback not only will you feel better about it when it’s received, but you will raise your game to a whole new level. |