Tips for making your team feel comfortable to tell you what you need to hear, instead of only what they think you want to hear.
After you’ve surrounded yourself with the best talent you can find, creating an environment that stifles open communication can render that investment useless.
Perhaps your employees are afraid to give you honest answers about your business or feel like they need to agree with every idea you have (no matter how ill-advised). If that’s the case, your business could be suffering because you’re not getting the value of their expertise, creativity, and insight. Bruce Todd Strom, a business consultant, says there are a few ways to get your team comfortable with telling you what you need to hear instead of only what they think you want to hear.
1. Don’t overreact. It’s never fun to hear bad news or smile while someone is telling you that your latest idea – well, it’s pretty bad. However, if you are argumentative or combative every time someone else delivers criticism, you’re going to stifle honest feedback, Strom says. Pay attention when an employee is speaking to you and refrain from becoming defensive. If you feel like you can’t respond favourably or even neutrally, thank the person for speaking up and say you’d like to discuss the matter more later. Taking a break before you respond will give you some time to calm down and be more objective about the feedback.
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