Part 3: Leaders Create Feedback Loops
Imagine for a moment that I, as a cafe owner, took a deep dive into our expenses and made the very informed decision to raise our menu prices by $2 per drink. From my perspective, analyzing the cost of goods, cost of labor, rent, pricing of our competitors, and our own quality advantage, this move makes perfect sense.
Suppose I do this, and my baristas notice multiple customers over the course of several days, coming in, cash in hand, taking a look at the menu and then walking out muttering that the prices were too expensive. Cash still in hand; coffee bought instead from the cafe down the street.
I of course don’t notice this because I’m too busy “leading” the company, so I go along my merry way, unaware that we’re losing business, and fast.
Now imagine that my baristas come to me, one by one, and share their experience. I have a few choices in that moment:
Scenario 1: I can blame the customers–they don’t understand the pressures of running a small business, inflation is hitting everyone, they need to suck it up and pay more, our quality is better anyways, etc.
Scenario 2: I can blame my employees–they’re always so negative and are constantly coming to me with all the things that aren’t working. I’m sick and tired of all of their “suggestions”; their perspective is limited and they simply don’t understand. If they saw all the factors I did, they would better understand my perspective.
Scenario 3: I can listen to their experience, recognizing that they’re coming to me with a perspective that is different from mine, and that this perspective is valuable specifically because it is different from mine, and make potential revisions to my strategy based on what they share.
All scenarios are probably well-intentioned. In the first scenario, I as the owner understand that you can’t please everyone, and I take that truth and blow it out of proportion, to my (and the company’s) detriment.
The second scenario might be motivated by maintaining a “positive workplace environment”, where we aim to build each other up rather than focus on the negative. But when this is blown out of proportion, anything that can be perceived as remotely negative gets squashed and silenced, cutting off any potential for meaningful feedback. As a result, growth is severely stunted, both for the leader and the organization.
The third, however, is the most important (and the most difficult). Creating a culture of feedback requires that I, as the leader, take the time to actually listen to those I’m leading. And while listening doesn’t necessarily mean that we go with every suggestion we receive, it does mean that a wise person hears another’s experience and understands that this experience is valid, real, and worth honoring. It also means that I might hear some things that are difficult and disappointing, but it is in those spaces that the most valuable nuggets often reside.
I’ve seen far too many systems like the first two scenarios above, and shockingly few like the third scenario. I myself have had moments of all three, whether we’re talking about systems of family dynamics, workplace relationships, or leading a staff team.
The important thing is, the first two scenarios are motivated by the leader trying to make himself look good (or at a minimum, a self-protective stance that keeps the leader from looking bad). The third scenario is motivated by the leader wanting to make her organization look good–feedback is welcomed because it’s the only way a team and an organization can grow.
Establishing good feedback loops requires courage, humility, and a self-assurance that isn’t tied to external factors for one’s self-worth.
The question is, are you willing to take the steps necessary to truly see as accurate a perception of your leadership as possible?
Some questions you can ask those you lead:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you describe your experience working here?
What would make that number higher?
What strengths, talents, or interests do you wish you could use more of here?
What do you wish I did differently, as a leader?
Is there anything you wish I understood better about your experience here that you haven’t felt comfortable sharing until now?
I recently asked these questions (and a few others) to my team and was pleasantly surprised by the feedback I received. In some areas, we were doing way better than I thought; and in the other areas, I now have the opportunity to develop a leadership strategy that can address these issues.
None of that would have happened if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone and created intentional space for honest, open feedback. As a result, I’m growing into a better leader, and our company is growing into a better company, because of it.
Questions for Reflection:
Which of the three scenarios above do you think you gravitate towards most often? Why do you think that is?
Have you ever been around someone who modeled a good feedback loop? What characteristics of theirs stand out to you?
How does being around someone like the person above affect their team (or family, or volunteers)?
What are the risks of opening yourself up to honest feedback? How can you be a safe place for others to share how they experience your leadership?
What steps can you take this week to move in the direction of creating feedback loops? (This might start with your spouse or some trusted friends–start in places where you feel secure, then branch out from there.)