With businesses so busy chasing deadlines, leaders often find it difficult to get feedback from their teams. If this rings true for your organization, don’t worry—here are four ideas to get employee input.
1. Just Ask
Make it a point to request input from your team on a regular basis. As with other things in life, sometimes all it takes to get what you need is to ask for it! Be clear and to the point with your questions. Here are some examples you can use:
- How can we improve?
- How can we be more productive/efficient/etc.?
- How would you do this?
- Are there any new ideas you would like to discuss?
2. Surveys
If you believe that surveys are an outdated tool to get employee input, think again. For example, the guys at Facebook still believe that surveys are an essential feedback strategy. Even when you have every type of technology available, surveys are still good predictors of behavior and give employees the chance to be heard.
3. Meetings
Chances are that you hold meetings only for specific purposes, like discussing a new project or tracking the progress of a current one. While this type of meeting is often indispensable, open-ended meetings whose main goal is to get feedback from your team can also be very useful and send a clear message about the importance of feedback in your organization.
4. Debriefing Sessions
Take the time to schedule one-on-one debriefing sessions with members of your team after a milestone has been achieved, or whenever a significant event occurs. This will help you see things from the perspective of your employees, uncovering details and nuances that you may miss otherwise.
Some Additional Tips
Now that you are equipped with a full toolkit to get input from your tips, here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you apply these ideas:
- Thank people who speak up
- Close the loop (update people about how you are applying their suggestions)
- Give credit
- Give your rationale for rejecting an idea
More Business Tips and Ideas
From returning to the office after the pandemic to the right structure for your business, these are some previous posts you can check out for more ideas on how to lead with confidence:
- 3 Tips for returning to the office after the pandemic
- The one digital marketing hack every small business owner should know
- Choosing the right business structure: a quick guide
- How to be more result-oriented at work
At the Pomona Chamber of Commerce, our mission is to keep you up to date with the most relevant developments in business management and administration so you and your company can take advantage of new opportunities. Contact us by email (info@pomonachamber.org) telephone (909-622-1256), social media, or click on this link to join and start enjoying the benefits of membership today.