{"id":643,"date":"2016-01-29T18:03:20","date_gmt":"2016-01-29T18:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielvlopes238992071.wordpress.com\/2016\/01\/29\/dont-ask-for-employee-feedback-invite-it\/"},"modified":"2023-02-09T20:14:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T04:14:58","slug":"dont-ask-for-employee-feedback-invite-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopy.is\/blog\/2016\/01\/29\/dont-ask-for-employee-feedback-invite-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t ask for employee feedback \u2014 invite it."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to get employee feedback in the workplace all starts with how<\/em> you ask for it.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When someone invites you to an event or a party, you typically don\u2019t automatically decide to go. You probably weigh a couple factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was it the host who invited you, or a friend of a friend? Did they put a lot of thought into inviting you, or was it this kinda last minute thing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, do they really care if you show up or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you ask for feedback from an employee, it\u2019s the same thing\u200a\u2014\u200ait\u2019s an invitation. You\u2019re inviting people to \u201cshow up.\u201d To spend their time with you, share their perspective, and be honest with you. So unless you put some thought into how you invite people for feedback, you\u2019re probably not going to get a good turnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given this, there are a few things I always keep in mind when I want to invite someone to give me candid feedback\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) Go first.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If I go into a conversation expecting the other person to be vulnerable and give their honest opinion, I better be willing to do it myself first. So I always try to make sure I admit something myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I might say to someone, \u201cHow do you think our last project went? I feel like I personally didn\u2019t do the best job at X. I\u2019d really benefit from your honest perspective on how things could\u2019ve been better.\u201d This helps put the other person at ease, and establishes a common ground for going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Ask \u201cwhat\u201d instead of \u201cany.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About four years ago, the wonderful Tracy Thirion, CEO of Bamboo Worldwide, shared this insight with me: When you ask \u201cwhat\u201d instead of \u201cany\u201d, you invite a greater response to a question.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when you ask, \u201cDo you have any frustrations?\u201d it\u2019s very easy for the person to default and say \u201cno.\u201d But when you ask, \u201cWhat could be better in the company?\u201d that question assumes that there are<\/em> things that could be better. It opens the opportunity for someone to provide a more honest answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Be specific.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seems obvious that specific questions invite specific feedback, right? But it\u2019s easy to forget in practice. So I always try to give people a specific timeframe<\/strong> to contextualize their feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, instead of asking, \u201cWhat could we do better?\u201d, which usually leads to generic, vague responses, I\u2019ll ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s something in the past 2 weeks that we could\u2019ve done better? \u201d When you narrow that frame of reference to \u201cthe past two weeks\u201d, it\u2019s much easier for the other person to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These small tips have been helpful to me every time I ask for feedback. It\u2019s more than just asking someone for honest feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re inviting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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