Does Feedback in Your Organization Flow Both Ways?

Doyle Slayton | Jan 31, 2010 | Comments 4

Written by John Hersey
[Contributing Author]

Feedback is vital for learning and improving, as much in business as in life.

As one very successful business author once said, “The major difference between the most successful and least successful executives is their level of self-awareness. Successful executives are critical of their own performance. Unsuccessful executives are critical of the performance of others.”

Many managers are not aware of the kind of suffering and problems they create for their company and for their employees until they really cause irreparable harm. The most foolish managers are the ones that lack effective personal feedback practices and completely reject having someone tell them how to be, act, and manage people better. Their motto simply is: “My way, or no way”. If someone doesn’t like their way of doing things, they can leave.

No manager can build an organization or team that is different from him or her. If there is a resistance to feedback within the organization, managers must look at themselves and their views on personal feedback. If you, as manager, don’t seek regular feedback about your actions, behaviors, and style, your team will mirror your values. The worst part is that managers who reject personal feedback, normally enforce it for everyone else.

There is a difference between two equally committed-to-improvement organizations. One is built on strong and accurate performance information with exact measures, and the other has a very weak measurement system.

There is a second important difference. Both types of organizations understand the theory, but only one applies it.

Within the frail system, employees avoid talking about serious issues with their managers. The staff’s communication level usually depends on the manager’s mood, and although these managers may say they wish to create a learning organization, they don’t even understand how their own people perceive them.

Yes, personal feedback can be harsh, and it can be truly painful… but for managers who are willing to listen… their team and organization will come to embrace it too. This level communication will play an important role in deciding whether your organization will fail, or if it has the potential to grow and improve!

John Hersey has spent thirty years as a successful corporate leader and entrepreneur. He is a Certified Professional Behavioral and Values Analyst. John is the author of “Finding and Keeping Great Leaders – CEO’s Explain How Corporate Culture Shapes Potential Leaders” the highly acclaimed book, “Creating Contagious Leadership”. John is a professional speaker, coach, and consultant. He brings his expertise regarding the impact of behavior on communication, sales and leadership to every program and event.