Very few employees will tell people leaders the honest truth.
It’s difficult but essential to get honest feedback if you wish to improve your skills, a product, a service or your organisation.
Your success may depend on seeking honest feedback and acting on it to make continuous improvements.
Sound feedback can also act as an early warning system alerting you to potential problems and grievances.
You can improve the business by asking three simple questions. “What did we do right?” What did we do wrong?” “How can we improve next time?”
A handful of tips to improve your business and your skills
*Be honest
Always tell the truth. Be honest with employees and clients if you want to get honest answers in return.
*Accept helpful criticism and appreciate constructive feedback
Be suspicious of excess positive feedback. If you keep getting only positive feedback you should realise it may not be the whole truth.
*Network at social events to gather information
Make the most of social events.
Ask basic questions such as ‘What’, ‘Why’, ‘When’, ‘Where’, ‘How’ and ‘How much’ If you seek true and honest comments on your services and products use lead-ins such as…‘ What do you think about….’‘Are you happy with …’
*Use formal surveys to collect opinions and facts from clients and potential clients
Plan feedback meetings and attitude surveys; carry out sample polls; set up focus groups to collect opinions and new information.
Invite electronic feedback and comments.
People will often tell you things online they would not tell you face to face.
If you survey specific groups to collect opinions, try to use peer group surveyors. For example; If you were surveying farmers, employ retired farmers or farmers’ wives. They usually have a better rapport with the people being surveyed so they are more likely to get the information you need.
*Reward people for the valuable feedback
A sincere ‘Thank you. Your views are greatly appreciated’, is an easy way to acknowledge their effort.
Clients, staff, suppliers and potential customers can be rewarded with small gifts. Such gestures may encourage people to supply further feedback.
Make an effort not to be defensive when people criticise you – be grateful.
-Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)
Keep asking- “How can we do better?”
Source: “Time-Savers”, Moss Associates Ltd, New Zealand (www.mossassociate.co.nz) and “Time Management Secrets”, Cengage Learning Asia, Singapore and as a Times Business Book, Federal Publications, and McGraw-Hill Australia. Also available as an E-book from Amazon.com.
Another Handful of Tips 