{"id":657,"date":"2016-01-28T18:37:07","date_gmt":"2016-01-28T18:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielvlopes238992071.wordpress.com\/2016\/01\/28\/dont-be-the-last-to-know-how-to-overcome-your-leadership-blindspots\/"},"modified":"2024-10-11T09:45:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T16:45:29","slug":"dont-be-the-last-to-know-how-to-overcome-your-leadership-blindspots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopy.is\/blog\/2016\/01\/28\/dont-be-the-last-to-know-how-to-overcome-your-leadership-blindspots\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t be the last to know: How to overcome your leadership blindspots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a CEO, business executive or manager, you can be caught in a bubble. Here\u2019s how to break through and get the employee feedback you need.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cHave you ever been the last to know something in your company?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As the CEO of Canopy<\/a>, an employee communication software tool, I\u2019ve asked this question to dozens of business owners, founders, and CEOs. The response is almost always the same\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYes, I\u2019ve definitely been the last to know something in my company.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps you were surprised to learn that some new hires felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the office? Or you had no clue one of your employees was under-performing when you thought things were going well? Or worse, were you blindsided when a senior employee you\u2019ve leaned on for years put in her two week\u2019s notice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d only known about these issues earlier, then you could\u2019ve done something about them, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could\u2019ve avoided a small setback from snowballing into a bigger problem. You could\u2019ve implemented a company change that would\u2019ve been well-received. You could\u2019ve kept a few key employees longer\u2026If only you weren\u2019t the last to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the real cost to being the last to know\u200a\u2014\u200ayou lose time, energy, money and people. It\u2019s dangerous to run a company and not know it as well as you\u2019d like. It means you\u2019re flying blind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why does being the last to know happen in the first place? And, as a business owner, founder, or CEO, what can you do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why you\u2019re always the last to know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being the last to know is a natural part of being the boss. When you\u2019re the boss, there\u2019s an inherent power dynamic underpinning every interaction you have with your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear comes into play. Employees worry about you treating them differently if they speak up. In an employee\u2019s head, you might take a comment personally and become defensive. You might choose to delay a promotion. You might even fire her or him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this feeling of fear is not the biggest reason why employees choose not to share what\u2019s on their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number one reason employees don\u2019t speak up at work is because of a sense of futility\u200a\u2014\u200athey believe even if they were to say something, nothing would change. They don\u2019t think their opinion or idea will have an effect on the outcome. In fact, studies have shown futility to be 1.8 times more powerful than fear<\/a> as an obstacle to giving feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means as a manager, founder, or CEO, you need to overcome these sentiments of fear and futility<\/a> if you don\u2019t want to be the last to know\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to avoid being the last to know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are four strategies you can employ to foster employee communications and convince staff their opinions will be acted on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. GO FIRST<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you want an employee to share their honest opinion with you, you have to be willing to share your honest opinion with them first<\/em>. You can\u2019t expect someone to be open with you, if you\u2019re not open with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to \u201cgo first\u201d is to ask for advice<\/em>, instead of for feedback. When you frame the conversation this way, it takes pressure off the situation. People are always willing to give advice, or to lend a hand\u2026 versus giving feedback, which can feel like giving a critique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this: <\/strong>\u201cI could use your advice on this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another way to \u201cgo first\u201d is by admitting a vulnerability. This might be in the form of you sharing a problem you\u2019re struggling with. This sets the expectation that you want to hear honest, non-sugar-coated information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this: <\/strong>\u201cI\u2019m struggling with\u2026\u201d or \u201cCan you help me understand something?\u201d or \u201cHey, I don\u2019t have all the answers\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Your job is to make your employees feel as safe as possible to speak up. You\u2019d be surprised how simply leveling with an employee can influence how much she or he opens up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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To get the information you want about your company, you have to ask<\/em> your employees what you want to know. You can\u2019t expect the answers to come to you. Answers only come when you ask questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the questions you ask can\u2019t be just any ol\u2019 questions. If you ask a general, half-hearted question, you\u2019ll get a general half-hearted response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, ask someone \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d and I\u2019ll bet that nine times out of ten, the response will be, \u201cIt\u2019s fine. Things are going fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, ask \u201cWhat\u2019s one thing about the last project we completed that could\u2019ve gone better?\u201d I guarantee that you\u2019ll unlock a lot more valuable honest feedback because you\u2019re asking for something specific (\u201cone thing\u201d). This question is also anchored around a specific event (\u201cthe last project we completed\u201d). The more specific the question, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this:<\/strong> \u201cWhat\u2019s one thing\u2026\u00a0?\u201d or \u201cHow did that last meeting go\u2026\u00a0?\u201d or \u201cWhat could have we done about the client project we just finished\u2026\u00a0?\u201d or \u201cWhat should we talk about during our next all-company get-together\u2026\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another way to ask specific questions is to time box the question to a specific period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, instead of asking, \u201cWhat do you think we could improve on?\u201d you should ask, \u201cWhat one thing in the last two weeks could we have improved on?\u201d By asking someone to reflect on the last two weeks, all of a sudden it\u2019s easier for that person to recall and think through what feedback they have for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, specific questions yield specific answers. General questions yield general answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. SET AN EXAMPLE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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As a leader people look to your actions as an example. This is especially true when it comes to communicating openly and honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone brings up a tough topic, do you get testy and a bit defensive? Or do you calmly listen and ask thoughtful questions? Your reaction will be their benchmark of whether they\u2019ll feel comfortable bringing up these hard conversations with you in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use this to your advantage. Set an example with your reaction and create the tone you want in your company. You want your reaction to exemplify, \u201cHere\u2019s how we treat bad news\u2026 We welcome it. We want to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to do this is to show gratitude to an employee who brings up a dissenting opinion. Thank that person, and do it publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this: \u201c<\/strong>I appreciate that viewpoint\u2026\u201d or \u201cIt means a lot to hear\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another way you can set an example is to emphasize what you have in common with the other person you\u2019re talking to. Despite you disagreeing with an employee, you want to remind them that you have shared intent and mutual goals. You\u2019re all playing on the same team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this:<\/strong> \u201cI know we don\u2019t agree on everything, but here\u2019s what I think we do agree on\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

4. KNOCK OUT A QUICK WIN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Take action. That\u2019s the most important thing you can do to make sure you\u2019re not the last to know. After all, that\u2019s the point of getting this information from your employees\u200a\u2014\u200ato do<\/em>something with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might sound obvious, but knocking out a quick win (no matter how small) can make a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a low-hanging fruit you just haven\u2019t gotten around to yet? Delegate it to someone you trust and take care of it right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a decision that you\u2019ve made that isn\u2019t a big deal to you, but is a big deal to someone else? Pick your battles, be open to changing your mind, and let someone else \u201chave\u201d that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try saying this:<\/strong> \u201cBecause of this suggestion, we\u2019re going to do this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Employees value responsiveness. They\u2019ll feel encouraged that their words led to action. That momentum will have a positive effect on morale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover more about your company<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I get how hard this is to do. Especially as a CEO myself, it\u2019s something I still personally struggle to prioritize. It\u2019s anxiety-inducing to open ourselves up to something we don\u2019t want to hear. And sometimes it feels like a distraction, when we\u2019re just trying to execute on the day-to-day of running a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if we want our business to be the best it can be\u200a\u2014\u200ato serve our customers well, to be great place for our employees to work\u200a\u2014\u200awe have to dig deep and be willing to learn what we don\u2019t yet know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have to commit to discovering more about our company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t have to be the last to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This piece was originally written on our friends\u2019 <\/em>Intercom Blog<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a deeper dive, be sure to check out our \u201cPrimer for New Managers<\/a>\u201d module in Canopy. The first few lessons are free \u2013 as are hundreds of daily tips. Try\u00a0Canopy<\/a><\/em>\u00a0for free, yourself, today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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