After looking at the different ways to rate leadership, let’s turn our attention to this question: is your business set-up properly for all employees to provide constructive feedback? If the answer is no, it’s imperative to consider the short and long-term costs to your business. First, let’s look at some different approaches for seeking feedback in the workplace.
Formal 360 Feedback
It’s interesting how we’re told not to worry about what other people think, yet in team and Board situations, we rely on the feedback of others. While this can again be fabulous for career development, if the situation is not set-up prior, if the context is not set-up thoroughly, the 360 degree process can in some instances, become a venting session of pent up passive aggression and distort and skew the feedback, being harmful and sometimes hurtful, steering relationships backwards and creating mistrust.
Self-Opinion Based Feedback
At the end of the day, we as individuals, have to be open and willing to take on any feedback (and of course, motivated and committed to take the actions required to make change). So if we decide that the feedback is not going to be taken onboard, it won’t be. If we decide the feedback is going to be taken onboard, it can be. This is what it boils down to. The willingness to apply the feedback, and the discipline to apply new habits to integrate that feedback.
Results Speak Volumes
The context of the results is key. As is the morale. Is it a positive and supportive workplace you work in? Is there a toxic culture? Or is there a culture of true care and collaboration? Again, the accomplishment of your deliverables (and the method in which you get there) is all relative to the environment you are part of.
Environment (Non-Verbal Feedback)
Change your environment or change your environment. This is a statement we use as a discussion point at our events and is part of our programs. We can either infect the environment with our positive power and influence and contribute to shaping it, or we can physically change the environment we are in, fingers crossed tight that the grass is greener on the other side. Either way, you/me/we show up wherever we are.
Always Seek Feedback
Even if you decide to not take on feedback, it’s better to have it than have none. Other people’s perspectives can be very useful on our learning journey as leaders. One comment, or one expression, one perspective or one word can make a huge difference to the way we perceive a situation and our own approach, if we are indeed open and willing.
Perception And Awareness
A big topic that needs its own article to express fully is the topic of awareness levels. At the end of the day, if the person giving feedback has a different awareness level to the person receiving the feedback or vice versa, this can also distort the quality of what is being said. What do I mean by awareness level? I mean, where the person is at in terms of what they believe is possible for themselves, for others and for the business.
Top Qualities Key To Leadership Success
What are the top qualities for success in relation to where you work? What are your natural qualities as a leader? Do they align? What are the gaps?
If you’re not clear, why not start the conversation with the business (or your business unit) to explore what everyone believes to be the top qualities for leadership success? Then get everyone on the same page so that you can make life easier for yourself (and everyone else) to rate and track progress.
Lean into the resources you have: human resource departments, Culture Strategy documents and any Vision and Mission statements to really zoom in on what the leadership traits are that you are expected to live up to. You may find they’re too generic or not easy to translate into operation and behaviour. In this case, don’t be afraid to raise the topic and seek clarity. If they are too nebulous or they are not easy for you to make sense of, that means others in the business will likely be confused about them too.
A Leadership Qualities Prompter List
Here is a sample of some of the less obvious qualities for leadership success we use when we are working with our clients inside their Leadership Coaching and Mentoring Programs. Our list has 36 elements sitting within five areas. Here are a few of the less often thought of qualities:
❏ Emotion Management/Emotional Intelligence
❏ Listening
❏ Observing
❏ Confidence
❏ Empathy
For more information about these qualities, go to our leadership assessment area over at www.InterceptGroup.co
Compare Compete
At a common sense level, we can be working to our strengths and display top characteristics when things are flowing well. When there’s a crisis though and the pressure is on, this is where we tend to be at our worst.
Always remember we as humans are not robots. So things like what’s going on for you and what your capacity to handle things is or what support you have around you, will all play a part in how you value feedback too.
In the end, you are in control of your interpretation and implementation of any feedback given at any time, in any situation. This points towards accountability, another key leadership trait to highly rate.
Interested in learning more about setting your business up so that it is feedback-friendly? Reach out to Intercept to organise a confidential Strategy Call.
