Step 1. Create the Right Environment
Before you can get constructive feedback from your employees, you need to set the tone that you welcome that kind of feedback. Creating an environment where feedback is encouraged is super important as most employees won’t feel comfortable giving feedback to their boss. You need to nudge them in that direction if you truly want to gain insight into how you can become a better boss.
An important part of creating the right environment also involves how you respond to feedback. If you truly don’t agree with the feedback you can agree to disagree, but you shouldn’t punish your employee for what they said. Doing so will send a signal that raising concerns with you can lead to more trouble than it’s worth.
Step 2. Listen First
When an employee does come to you with feedback, the best thing you can do is just listen. The first time they come to you with feedback is not a time to get defensive or to debate their opinion. That doesn’t mean you can’t dive deeper and go back and forth a bit on this feedback, but save that conversation for a later day. Listen and listen carefully. It’s easy to get defensive when criticized, but after stepping away from the conversation you may realize your employee raised valid points.
There’s a good chance you might not agree with their feedback. By showing your employee that you truly listened to them by not arguing or cutting them off, at the very least you can ensure they feel heard. That way at a minimum, they can walk away feeling like their efforts weren’t completely in vain and that if they need to in the future they can come to you again with honest feedback.
Step 3. Pause and Reflect
After receiving the feedback, take some time to pause and reflect on what your employee said. Write down all of your main takeaways from the conversation while they’re still fresh in your mind. You can take a few days to mull over the feedback and how you can respond to it and having that list will make it easier to recall the conversation fully. You may want to talk through the feedback with your manager, a mentor, or a trusted friend or family member. No matter how you decide to process the feedback, it is important to set some time aside to give it fair consideration. Most likely, your employee wouldn’t have raised a complaint if it wasn’t something that really concerned them so they deserve for you to take their feedback seriously.
It’s important to note that not all feedback will be negative or be cause for concern. An employee may come to you with positive feedback, which deserves the same amount of care and attention as critiques. If you want to get better at your job, you can learn alot from paying just as much attention to what you do well as which areas require improvement.
Step 4. Respond and Plan
Once you have taken some time to carefully consider the feedback you received, you can set a meeting with your employee to talk over what you learned from the experience. If you agree with their feedback, you can let them know what steps you intend to take to remedy the issue and can ask for what type of progress they are hoping to see from you. If you think their feedback was off base, you can ask for more clarification and can try to learn more about where they’re coming from.
Either way, showing that you did take the feedback seriously and will make changes when necessary is important. This signals to your employee that their feedback and feelings are valued by you.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue. It should not be regarded as comprehensive or a substitute for professional advice.