{"id":53638,"date":"2022-06-06T02:26:30","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T07:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/?p=53638"},"modified":"2022-10-10T09:22:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T14:22:13","slug":"get-the-feedback-you-need-to-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/get-the-feedback-you-need-to-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"Get the Feedback You Need to Scale"},"content":{"rendered":"

I sat opposite a member of my team, one of my direct reports. I forced a smile. It was all I could do not to shift and fidget in my chair. The source of my discomfort? She was telling me about something I regularly did that drove her crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t volunteer this information or drop it on me unexpectedly. I had invited it. Why would I do this to myself?<\/span><\/p>\n

When I talk with our <\/span>BusinessAccelerator<\/span>\u00ae<\/span><\/a> clients about my regular candor meetings, they always want to know more. First, they want to know why I do them. Then, once they hear the reason, they usually want to know how to conduct meetings like this with their own teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

One Way to Lift the Ceiling<\/b><\/h3>\n

As a business owner, you are always the ceiling on your business. The only way you can grow is to become aware of what\u2019s not working so you can fix it. But there\u2019s a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

As your company grows and becomes more successful, you\u2019ll be more insulated from candid feedback. You won\u2019t have as many natural feedback channels. There will be more people in the mix. And, depending on the personalities around you, you may have some people reluctant to level with you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to seek out feedback. And one way to solicit the kind of critical feedback you need is with intentional candor meetings. I want to share five actions you can take to conduct meetings like this in your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

Action 1: Choose your candor questions.<\/b><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re looking for certain answers, you need to ask the right questions. Ask any trial attorney, and they\u2019ll tell you the same thing. When I conduct candor meetings, I use a list of questions taken from, or inspired by, Kim Scott\u2019s book <\/span>Radical Candor<\/span><\/i><\/a>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How can I serve you better as a leader?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What is one thing you need from me that you haven\u2019t been getting?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. In what ways do you feel set up to win or set up to lose in your position?<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. If we could resolve one issue to improve your role, what would it be?<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. What opportunities for improvement do you see in our business?<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. What could I do to better lead our team as a whole?<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. What\u2019s one thing I do that makes you crazy?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. What\u2019s one thing you\u2019d like me to keep doing?<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. What\u2019s one disconnect you see between me and the rest of the team?<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. How can I better communicate with you?<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. What are our top three suggestions to help me be a better leader in our business?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These questions are designed to elicit the kind of responses I need but can\u2019t assume I\u2019ll get without soliciting them. I need to know how to serve my team better. I need to know what drives them crazy. I need to know how to communicate better.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Getting the feedback I need starts with picking the right questions and proactively seeking answers from my team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Action 2: Schedule meetings with direct reports.<\/b><\/h4>\n

    After you\u2019ve selected the right questions to ask, you need to create a context to ask them. I schedule two meetings with my direct reports, one for the first half of the year and one for the second. I split the eleven questions above between the two meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I prefer doing this in a one-on-one setting, but you can do it in a group context. The main thing is to get it on the calendar.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As you schedule these, explain the rationale behind the meetings. You\u2019ll need to do more than give them permission to offer candid feedback; you\u2019ll need to actively solicit it and assure them they\u2019re free to speak their mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Action 3: Send questions in advance.<\/b><\/h4>\n

    As your team gets used to candor meetings, they\u2019ll get comfortable with the process. Don\u2019t count on that upfront. In fact, you can probably count on at least some of your direct reports being reluctant to fully answer questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    People will feel unsettled by the prospect of offering candid feedback. If you want high-quality feedback, you need to encourage honesty and give people the opportunity to prepare. Otherwise, they might just pull their punches, and you don\u2019t want that.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sending questions in advance gives your people a chance to think through their answers, so you get their strongest responses.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Action 4: Conduct the meeting.<\/b><\/h4>\n

    Alright. You\u2019ve chosen your questions, scheduled your meeting, and sent your questions in advance. Now for the fun\u2014or the awkward, depending on what you hear.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The important thing is to actively listen. Don\u2019t do too much talking. Instead, adopt a posture of curiosity. You\u2019ll have to be conscious of body language, voice, facial expressions, and so on. You\u2019ve invited feedback; you don\u2019t want to shut it down with a scowl or a grimace.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t argue or debate the feedback. You\u2019re not required to accept it, implement it, or do anything. This is not an opportunity to protect your image. Just be a respectful listener. You\u2019re after their perspective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    I find asking clarifying questions along the way really helps. You\u2019d be surprised how much more you can get with a prompt like, \u201cSay more about that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Action 5: Follow up as necessary.<\/b><\/h4>\n

    This final action is essential. You\u2019re not required to act on the feedback you receive, but you do need to honor the feedback by acknowledging it. At the end of the meeting, say something like, \u201cThanks. I\u2019ll think about this feedback and get back to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    And do those two things: reflect on what you heard and update them. If their feedback resonates and seems actionable, take the necessary actions to address it. If their feedback doesn\u2019t resonate, you can let them know you see things differently. The worst thing that can happen is that they take a risk and you do nothing at all. At minimum, make sure to follow up in a message or during your next one-on-one.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The key thing to keep in mind is that your team knows things you don\u2019t, both things about your business and things about you. If you want access to that information, you need to create contexts where sharing that information is positive\u2014even when the news is negative. Maybe <\/span>especially<\/span><\/i> when it\u2019s negative.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Accessing that information will help you improve your performance, lead your team more effectively, and ultimately experience better results across your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The only way you can grow is to know what\u2019s not working so you can fix it. To solicit the feedback you need, have intentional candor meetings. Here’s how to do that in 5 steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":53640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1711,483,34,16],"tags":[1712,41,1709,33,38,15],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGet the Feedback You Need to Scale | Full Focus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The only way you can grow is to know what\u2019s not working so you can fix it. To solicit the feedback you need, have intentional candor meetings. 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