The Feedback Questions that Change Everything
When was the last time you received useful feedback?
Everyone who craves excellence craves feedback. You need to know how you’re doing and how to improve.
You never reach excellence without feedback.
Honesty is problem one:
The higher you go the more likely people say what they’re expected to say, not what they believe. Honest feedback is rare.
Asking is problem two:
Jim Kouzes said nearly two million people had taken their 360-degree feedback tool. The statement that consistently receives the lowest rating is, “Asks for feedback on how his/her actions affect other people’s performance.”
You don’t receive feedback because you don’t ask.
Asking:
Great feedback begins with great questions. “How am I doing?” is not a great beginning.
Specific performance feedback:
- What do you think I was trying to accomplish when I ______? (Fill in the blank with an outcome, “Led the meeting,” for example.)
- What did I do that made you think I was ______? (Fill in the blank with their response to #1.)
- How could I better accomplish _______?
- What should I keep doing?
Global role-feedback:
Ask these questions without mentioning specific outcomes.
- What do you think/perceive I am trying to accomplish as a _____? (Leader, manager, coach, spouse, etc.)
- What am I doing that makes you think I’m trying to accomplish _____?
- How could I improve what you think I’m trying to accomplish?
- “How/where do you fit into what I’m trying to accomplish?” (Nathan, Thanks for giving me this powerful question.)
- How can I help you better fit in?
The feedback question that changes everything uses behaviors to identify what’s really going on. It doesn’t begin with a list of job responsibilities.
How can leaders invite feedback?
What questions invite useful feedback?
I use, “What did you hear today?” This gets past the honest problem. I then compare that to my goals and judge my areas for improvement.
Dan-
Part of getting good feedback as leaders is based on asking good questions without trying to impact the answer. Another part is actually showing that we acknowlege it and do something based on it.
When we give honest feedback to fellow team members and followers, we expect to see some kind of change in behavior, approach or activity. We should expect the same from ourselves.
If we never do anything with the feedback that we get, people will assume that we don’t care and will cease to be honest and forthcoming. Which ultimately hurts everyone.
Martina
Great advice – communication is the key ONLY when it’s useful, understandable and actionable.
Some times you have to take risk and get gut honest about your personal insecurities. It’s never back fired for me yet. I find superiors appreciate a person that is willing to be real with them but I understand its not for everyone.
I have found that when I really wanted to get the most honest answers I could possibly get, I let my teachers answer anonymously. I doesn’t take a lot of guts to give and honest answer when you don’t have to put your name with it.
This is a powerful post, Dan. No clear-headed leader would argue the importance of feedback. But you’ve given ground-level, doable ways to go about it. I will be printing this post out and keeping it close.
Great post Dan. Here’s a question that leaders and managers can use to get feedback on their management style (without talking about management style!) and get some information on how to enhance an employees job satisfaction:
‘Is there anything I could do; more of, less of, or differently that would improve your job satisfaction’?
Dear Dan,
Feedback can change everything is truly powerful idea. It depends on sources and target both. Honest feedback with good intention is always positive. But how target accepts is even the greater issue. Even the dishonest feedback can influence people wrongly. People might not take what is needed but they will take it why others said so. It means we are accustomed to listen only positive things. So, honesty and acceptance in taking honest feedback actually changes things positively and remarkably. I believe three things can change me at present in University of Milan-how could I utilize my stay, how should I make my supervisor feel proud of my achievement and how should I fit in. I think ” How should I fit in the great question to start with other options. Unless you fit in, it could be difficult to achieve or create impact. Leaders can invite feed back by showing others feeling important and superiors. When others think they can say without fear. That is point of good feedback.
I think the question that invites useful feedback is just asking what is wrong with the way I operate or act? How should I become effective among my colleagues, students and surroundings.
Very important topic! I have seen and read so many biases in workshop evaluation forms where participants clearly tell you what you want to hear instead of what’s important for improving the next workshop. Politeness sometimes get’s in the way of honest feedback.
One great thing about asking for feedback is that it is often followed by the other person asking you to reciprocate. It leads to increased openness and self awareness between both parties, which of course leads to improved levels of trust.
What can leaders do to invite criticism? Ask those they trust.
Rarely will direct reports freely offer criticism when there’s no invitation or encouragement. What questions leaders ask need to be carefully thought through because direct reports most likely will be cautious. Be sure to explain what you will do with the information. Another option is to encourage more openness in an organization for the leader to admit mistakes in a timely manner. If the boss has the organizational persona that he or she can do no wrong, employees are not as willing to open up.