Everybody gets lost sometimes: While walking through a foreign city, for instance, or after taking the wrong side road with the car. In business it is similar: Sometimes you are on the wrong track. Our recommendation for this week: Ask for feedback.
Have you lost your work way before? For instance when you invested a lot of time in a project at your best knowledge and afterwards you learn that the results aren’t what has been intended? Or in a project team where you act correctly – at least from your point of you – and then you realise that you colleagues perceive your behaviour totally different?
Pretty annoying, isn’t it? Some of you might think: Why on earth nobody told me?! Well, why didn’t you ask?
Risks vs. chances
Asking for feedback is often connected with the risk of getting a negative personnel review. While that’s possible, of course, feedback can do much more. With each feedback you learn more about yourself and how your work approach is perceived. It offers the possibility to improve yourself, find new perspectives and change your behaviour if necessary. And there is always the chance to receive very good feedback which can be extremely motivating.
These are the very simple rules for asking for feedback:
- Be specific about the situation or project you want to receive feedback for
- Listen carefully and attentive
- Take your time to digest the feedback
- Don’t interrupt the feedback giver and save your answers for later
- No justifications, defences or verbal counterstrike
- Don’t forget to say “Thank you for the feedback.”
Some examples for feedback opening questions:
“We are working together for two weeks now – how to you perceive my work approach?”
“After my presentation this morning I had a bad feeling – What do you think about my performance?”
And on the subject: How do you like our recommendation for this week?
We are looking forward to receive your feedback.
This might be also interesting for you:
- Smiling does the trick – Winning your employees’ favour (Part 1)
- Little presents keep a friendship alive – Winning your employees’ favour (Part 2)