The Paybacks

Take the story of the high school principal who had sterling feedback from his direct reports. This man had more than 50 people reporting to him—teachers, custodians, and cafeteria workers—and all thought that he was terrific and told him so in anonymous surveys.

“How in the world have you managed to create an environment where people look to you as their leader and give you such a big thumb’s up?” the principal was asked.

“I’ve learned that even the PTA has a good idea every now and then. So I always ask.”

Consider the following situations:

• At the end of a weekly operational meeting, your chief executive officer (CEO) stands and says that he would like to take a moment to thank each of you for the feedback he received on his leadership surveys. “I learned a lot about myself. It was not easy. In fact, it was hard. But it’s important for me to be the best leader I can be for this company and for you. I appreciate your honesty.”

• Your spouse sits you down on the back deck on a summer day and notes that you have an upcoming anniversary. “There’s nothing more important to me than our relationship, and I want it to continue to grow and be the best it can be. I’m asking for some guidance. I want to know what you think I do well as your partner and what things I could do better. Will you give it some thought?”

• A successful colleague you admire has an important budget presentation to the executive committee next week. “I value your opinion,” he says to you. “Would you come to a rehearsal I’ve set up on Wednesday? I’d like your help on how I can make it better.”

Wouldn’t we all feel extremely good if these situations happened in our lives? We would feel valued and important.

There is power in behaviors that say, “I want your opinion. You count.” This message taps into a fundamental need people have to feel as if they matter. When you ask others for personal or professional feedback, you also send another underlying message: “I don’t know it all. I’m not perfect. Help me see what I might not know. Help me be more successful.” You demonstrate humility, a willingness to be open and transparent, and a desire to serve and to learn.

And it is the learning that is perhaps the biggest payoff of asking others for feedback. In surveys, 95 percent of leaders were unable to give themselves the highest rating on having a firm understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and 98 percent of their bosses agreed. Asking others about their strengths and weaknesses helps leaders gain a more solid understanding of what they are doing well and what might need to be improved.

In surveys, 95 percent of leaders were unable to give themselves the highest rating on having a firm understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and 98 percent of their bosses agreed.

By asking for feedback, leaders experience the following benefits.

Seeing What Others See

As a young sales manager, Emily was shocked and dismayed to learn through formal feedback that one of her seven sales reps believed that she could be dishonest and unethical in her business practices. After some strategic thinking, she pursued one-on-one conversations with two reps, Jim and Roger, with whom she had close relationships. “What have I done or what am I doing that is being perceived as dishonest and unethical?” Both men told the same story.

When reps would deliver an order late in the month after unit and personal quotas were met, Emily often would say, “Why don’t you just hold this order until next week, and we’ll get a fast start next month.” Although Jim and Roger were fine with this, another rep, who they did not name, thought it was dishonest. He believed that you should book the business when you got it. And he wondered what else was being done behind closed doors that might be unethical.

Confronted with this information, Emily saw how someone-could perceive her behavior as dishonest. She also knew that without the formal feedback process, she probably never would have figured this out. What Emily learned prompted her to stop the practice and to go to extra lengths to explain when top management would override her decision on holding any piece of business. Subsequent feedback 6 months later showed improved integrity ratings. Emily’s take-away was a lifelong commitment to asking for feedback.

Discover a Victory

When a vice president of operations was asked what especially pleased him about the information he gleaned from his 10 direct reports in feedback surveys, he answered: “ Definitely that item about positively recognizing people. Last year, that showed up as a real weakness, so I’ve worked hard on it.” When feedback lets you know that the changes you have made are working and people’s perceptions have changed, it is time to pat yourself on the back. Realizing the victory can be energizing and encourage continued efforts.

Reveal Your Blind Spots

The world as seen through your lens probably has some large chunks of missing information in it.

BLIND SPOT QUIZ

1. What one thing does your boss admire most about you?

2. What’s the number one thing your administrative assistant would like you to do differently to help him or her work more effectively?

3. What are your top three leadership strengths, according to your team?

4. What is the most important thing you could improve right now to be a better leader to your direct reports?

5. How do your peers see you?

If you are confident in all your answers, you excel in collecting valuable information that can make you better in leadership and in business. However, if you are guessing, wondering how others would answer, you have some blind spots. If you have devised a plan for how to be a better leader based only on your own perceptions, you may not ever arrive. Give others the chance to help you. Ask for the information you need.

Susan Wise, an executive coach, helps her clients see what could be holding them back by drawing two concentric circles. The smaller inner circle represents a zone of comfort, and the area outside is one of discomfort. We all operate in our comfort zones, and for most successful leaders, most of what they do works well. Feedback brings possible new behaviors into focus, requiring one to reach into that uncomfortable zone. The zone of discomfort has strategies, beliefs, and skills that would further increase effectiveness but often are not used. With practice and subsequent success, those effective behaviors from the outside zone of discomfort will move into the comfort zone. Says Susan: “Leaders who don’t open themselves for feedback are doomed to live forever with their blind spots.”