Leaders’ inability to accept and grow from feedback is damaging their prospects – and their companies’, writes Fiona McKay
From smiley face buttons in retail outlets to customer satisfaction emails, we live in an era where businesses demand constant feedback to create a more effective dialogue with us. With this prevalent demand for feedback penetrating almost every facet of our daily lives, why are we still so bad at delivering and accepting feedback in the workplace?
Whether it’s managers afraid of upsetting their staff, or leaders who refuse to accept commentary on their performance, this reluctance to face facts can have a detrimental effect on the overall performance of a business. Two-thirds (68 per cent) of CEOs we surveyed last year said their employees’ inability to have difficult discussions and feedback conversations was preventing them from improving their companies’ performance and profits.
I’m extremely fortunate to work with exceptional talent all over the world and across all levels, from boardroom to sales floor, and there’s one thing I’ve identified through 25 years in this field: people and organisations that are able to give and receive feedback – and act upon it – are those that flourish the most.
A common challenge I’ve faced is changing the perception that feedback has to be negative, and instead considering it a valued opportunity that presents the chance to bond with staff and employees. And even those who do embrace the importance of feedback often have antiquated systems in place where it is usually provided only once a year at a performance review.
The key to effective feedback is being able to do it every day, while in turn it elevating it into a coaching opportunity, where it enables and empowers an individual to learn and change through their own solutions. There are a number of ways in which businesses can achieve this – but none of these are much use unless the concept is embraced and evidenced at the top. Leaders have the ability to create a culture of giving and receiving feedback if they lead by example, which includes being able to accept feedback themselves. Although this sounds straightforward, it’s often those at the top who struggle the most to accept even the slightest hint of criticism, especially if their key performance indicators are being met and their figures are flying high.
One thing I’ve emphasised to clients is that being a leader requires the mental toughness and agility to have all of their actions and behaviours scrutinised. Those unable to embrace this will be unsuccessful in leading a business to grow and innovate. Leaders who are open to honest feedback (which will inevitably include evaluation) possess the ability to completely change the dynamic of a team and empower them to create a more honest environment and offer feedback that’s focused on improvement.
Fiona McKay is the founder of Fiona-McKay.com and managing director of Lightbulb Leadership Solutions