It is crucial you receive feedback from your direct reports so you can gauge how your behaviors and practices affect your team and determine whether you should do something differently. However, your team members may be hesitant to give you honest feedback and let you know how you could improve.
Harvard Business Review offers the following five common barriers to getting honest feedback from your team and how you can address those barriers and get insights from your direct reports.
- Concern you are not open to feedback. Unless direct reports are explicitly asked to offer you feedback, they likely do not know it is an option. Tell them you want and expect feedback. You can say you are committed to personal and professional self-improvement and need them to help you meet that commitment.
- Apprehension about giving feedback “correctly.” Giving feedback effectively is a skill that must be learned, so employees may resist offering feedback if they believe they have not learned to do it well. Let your team know feedback is a skill that must be practiced and offer them the opportunity to practice with you. Let them know they do not have to do it “right” and just need to try.
- Fear of retaliation. You are in a position of power, and team members may worry that giving you feedback could be viewed as disrespectful and interfere with their future opportunities. Be sure to demonstrate empathy and humility. Assure them you understand their discomfort and view their willingness to provide honest feedback as an asset that will help you improve.
- Concern about hurting your feelings. Feedback sometimes leads to hurt feelings, and your direct reports may be worried about hurting you and their relationship with you. Demonstrate your self-awareness by giving yourself constructive feedback first, acknowledging things you know you can improve and asking direct reports whether there is anything else you can work on.
- Suspicion that nothing will change after providing the feedback. If you ask for honest feedback and then fail to address it, your team’s trust in you will decline. Tell your direct reports how you plan to address their feedback. If you cannot act immediately, let them know why.
