{"id":503,"date":"2017-10-02T19:58:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T19:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielvlopes238992071.wordpress.com\/2017\/10\/02\/11-ways-to-get-feedback-from-your-most-introverted-employee\/"},"modified":"2024-10-11T12:10:49","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T19:10:49","slug":"11-ways-to-get-feedback-from-your-most-introverted-employee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopy.is\/blog\/2017\/10\/02\/11-ways-to-get-feedback-from-your-most-introverted-employee\/","title":{"rendered":"11 ways to get feedback from your most introverted employee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When folks are quiet at work, that doesn\u2019t mean they have don\u2019t have effective employee feedback to share.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m an introvert. Most people don\u2019t believe me when I tell them this (I do a lot of public speaking<\/a> for an introvert \ud83d\ude33), but I am an introvert through-and-through. When I need to recharge, I seek alone time as opposed to being around a group of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an introvert, I also tend to avoid questions that seem overly personal or require long, drawn-out answers. Honestly, it can feel draining to divulge so much of myself and talk all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early in my career, I remember how this played out at work: My boss at the time would ask me for feedback about the company\u2026 And I struggled to answer his questions candidly. As an introvert, I never felt comfortable being 100% transparent with him about what I thought could be better in the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m embarrassed thinking back on what was probably viewed as avoidant, disengaged behavior. It\u2019s not that I didn\u2019t want<\/em> to be honest\u200a\u2014\u200aI just didn\u2019t know how<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little did I know that, on the other end as a manager, it\u2019s possible to create a work environment where introverts like me can feel comfortable giving their feedback. Having studied this issue and gathered insights from thousands of employees we work with through Canopy<\/a>, I now know how to build a workplace where quieter employees feel comfortable speaking up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 11 things you can do and say today to encourage even your most introverted employee to be more forthcoming with you\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Set up a time to talk in advance.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My former boss used to walk up to an employee\u2019s desk and ask her, \u201c How are things going?<\/em>\u201d or \u201c Wanna go grab a coffee in like 10 minutes and have a quick one-on-one?<\/em>\u201d While these seem like positive, well-intentioned gestures on the surface, I remember these \u201csurprise\u201d requests for feedback feeling abrupt and off-putting to me as an employee. As introverts, we prefer having time to reflect, process, and prepare what we might want to share. So asking for feedback on-the-spot without a heads up doesn\u2019t jive. Instead, set up a time to ask for feedback in advance. For example, you might say: \u201cHey ____, I would love an opportunity to grab some time with you, and simply listen to what you think could be better in the company. Do you have any time later this week or next?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nLooking for more detailed guidance on one-on-one meetings?<\/strong>\nMake sure to check out our 1:1 module in Canopy.\n<\/div>\n
\nLearn more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Be clear on the \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Are you asking for feedback to \u201ccheck a box\u201d because it\u2019s something leaders are \u201csupposed to do\u201d? Or do you genuinely believe that your employees\u2019 feedback is paramount to the business as a whole? If it\u2019s the latter, make that clear. (And if it\u2019s the former, here\u2019s a bit of info to understand why employee feedback matters<\/a>). Oftentimes, introverts like myself don\u2019t speak up because it\u2019s unclear why<\/em> our feedback is being asked for and if it will be valued. If I don\u2019t hear the \u201cwhy,\u201d then I\u2019m not going to put in the extra energy to share feedback that already feels unnatural for me to share in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a manager, you must reveal the \u201cwhy\u201d behind you asking for feedback and show your employees why their feedback matters to you. For instance, you can say something like: \u201cThe reason I\u2019m asking for your input is that I truly believe your suggestions will help the company get to where it needs to be in the long run.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Ask \u201cwhat\u201d instead of \u201cany.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re asking your quieter employees for feedback, pay attention to the exact words in the questions you\u2019re asking. Using the word \u201cwhat\u201d instead of \u201cany\u201d invites a greater response to a question. For example, when you ask, \u201c Do you have feedback on how the last client meeting went?<\/em>\u201d it\u2019s very easy for the person to default and say \u201cno.\u201d But when you ask, \u201c could have been better in that last client meeting?<\/em> \u201c that question assumes that there are things that could be better. Asking \u201cwhat\u201d instead of \u201cany\u201d opens the opportunity for someone to provide a more honest answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. \u201cTimebox\u201d your question.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Give your employees a specific timeframe to contextualize their feedback the next time you ask them a question. This helps more introverted employees, in particular, think of feedback that is more concrete to share with you. I call this \u201ctime boxing.\u201d For example, rather than asking, \u201c What could we do better<\/em>?\u201d which usually leads to generic, vague responses, I\u2019ll ask, \u201c What\u2019s something <\/em>in the past 2 weeks<\/em><\/strong> that we could\u2019ve done better?<\/em> \u201c When you narrow that frame of reference to \u201cthe past two weeks,\u201d it\u2019s much easier for the other person to respond. She or he is now reflecting on just the past two weeks, instead of having to jog their memory for the past year or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Ask about \u201cone thing.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Not only do I try to contextualize questions to a specific timeframe, but I try to ask about one<\/em> thing, instead of leaving a question open-ended. For example, instead of asking, \u201c What could we have improved on in that last project<\/em>?\u201d you should ask, \u201c What is the last project could we have improved on?<\/em> \u201c By asking for \u201cone thing,\u201d you make the question much less overwhelming for an introverted employee to answer. And the less overwhelming the question is, the more likely it is that you\u2019ll get a candid, in-depth answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Ask: \u201cI feel X didn\u2019t go well. Would you agree or disagree?\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another way to create a safe environment for your quieter employees to open up is to admit something you\u2019re struggling with yourself. This is particularly helpful when you\u2019re noticing radio silence from an employee. For example, let\u2019s say you ask her or him, \u201c What\u2019s one thing about the last project we could have improved on?\u201d <\/em>And the other person is clamming up and can\u2019t seem to think of anything (even though you asked about \u201cone thing\u201d). Try sharing something you think didn\u2019t go well, and say: \u201c I feel like I personally didn\u2019t do the best job at X. Would you agree or disagree?<\/em> \u201c This vulnerability gives permission to the other person to be critical about something they might not otherwise be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nLooking for more detailed guidance on one-on-one meetings?<\/strong>\nMake sure to check out our 1:1 module in Canopy.\n<\/div>\n
\nLearn more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. Look to the future.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

People tend to be more honest when you ask them about the future versus the past. This is because giving feedback about the past can feel like a negative critique about what went wrong while giving feedback about the future is seen as a forward-looking, creative opportunity to make things better. Use this to your advantage when looking to get honest feedback from a quieter employee. For example, you can ask: \u201cGoing forward<\/em><\/strong>, what\u2019s one thing you think we should try doing as a company to improve our marketing?<\/em>\u201d instead of \u201cWhat should we have done to prevent the marketing initiative from failing in the past?\u201d <\/em>See how the first question about the future seems much more positive and inviting compared to the second question about the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Bring a notebook.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not you consider yourself an avid notetaker, bring a notebook to your next one-on-one with your employee. When you have a notebook in front of you and a pen in hand, you\u2019re indicating that you\u2019re ready to listen, absorb, and take notes on the feedback the other person is giving you. It also demonstrates that you\u2019re not entering the conversation with an already fixed agenda of what you want to get out of it. For an introverted employee, this is especially important, as it reassures her or him that the energy it will take to open up and give honest feedback will be worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Say thank you.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Showing gratitude to an employee who shares a dissenting point-of-view is one of the most effective ways to encourage her or him to be honest with you\u2026 Yet it\u2019s something we often forget to do. Get into the habit of regularly saying, \u201c I appreciate that viewpoint<\/em>\u201d or \u201c It means a lot to hear that<\/em>\u201d or simply \u201c Thank you\u201d <\/em>every time an employee gives you feedback. When you do, you prove that candid feedback is welcome\u200a\u2014\u200aeven if it\u2019s an opinion you might not outright agree with. Your quieter employees will be more willing to open up again the next time around if you show gratitude for their input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nLooking for more detailed guidance on performance reviews?<\/strong>\nMake sure to check out our Training Program.\n<\/div>\n
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10. Be quiet.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the best way to show someone who is more introverted that you want to listen to their feedback is to do that: Just listen. Be quiet. Don\u2019t rebut. Don\u2019t talk. Don\u2019t think about what you\u2019re going to say next. Just listen. Why? Typically, when you respond right away, you come across as defensive. And when you come across as defensive, it means you didn\u2019t really want to hear the feedback. This will discourage an employee from sharing their honest feedback with you in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do feel like you need to respond, you can say something like: \u201cI\u2019m grateful to you for sharing that. Let me take some time to digest what you\u2019re saying and get back to you.\u201d <\/em>Introverts, in particular, recognize silence not as an absence of thought, but as a space for deep thinking. They\u2019ll respect that you\u2019re not trying to counter every point or talk over them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Let her or him know WHEN you\u2019ll follow up\u200a\u2014\u200aand stick to it.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The biggest reason why quieter employees tend to not be as forthcoming with feedback is because of the sense of futility: It feels futile to give feedback because no action will be taken. In fact, studies have shown that futility is the #1 reason employees don\u2019t speak up at work<\/a>. This means in order to overcome the sense of futility and get honest feedback from your employees, you must communicate how you\u2019re going to close the loop about a piece of feedback that\u2019s been given to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do this, the next time an employee shares some salient feedback with you, try saying: \u201cThis is a helpful piece of feedback. I\u2019m going to chew on it and get back to you by next Friday on how we\u2019ll move forward.\u201d <\/em>Or if it\u2019s something you can take action on immediately, you can say: \u201c Because you shared this, I\u2019m going to change X for our next project.\u201d <\/em>If it\u2019s something that requires some time to think through, you can say: \u201c Can we follow-up 2 weeks from now, and I\u2019ll have an update on where I think we should go from here?<\/em> \u201c Notice in each of these examples, I\u2019m very specific about when I will follow up with the employee. Make sure you do the same to show you\u2019re serious about acting on their feedback or resolving their issue in some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tactics are helpful not only in asking for feedback from introverted employees, per se. As managers, founders, and CEOs, we all have at least one employee who we wish we heard from more regularly: An employee in our company who we might not see all the time, an employee who we haven\u2019t developed a strong personal rapport with yet, or an employee who we\u2019re dying to know what she or he really thinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next time you\u2019re wanting to get honest feedback from one of these employees, try a few of these 11 suggestions. It\u2019s as simple as setting up a time to talk in advance or bringing a notebook (or both!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll hear more honest feedback from your employees than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nLooking for more detailed guidance on this topic?<\/strong>\nMake sure to check out our Training Program.\n<\/div>\n
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