It is hard to get honest feedback from your colleagues, especially when you happen to be the boss. The following steps could help in breaking the ice, says Anumeha Chaturvedi
1 Build a Culture of Trust Leaders need to build a culture of trust through innovative policies and measures that value employees. For instance, Manmohan Agarwal, CEO of Bigshoebazar.com and brand owner of Yebhi.com tries to ensure all his senior professionals work as entrepreneurs and not as managers. “All our managers take independent operating and strategic decisions and the company stands behind them. We allows all employees to share their grievances,” he says.
2 Be a Good Listener
“It is important to be a good listener to be able to draw out honest feedback from employees,” says VD Wadhwa, MD and CEO of Timex. “Leader should be impartial and should refrain from passing judgements. They cannot demand loyalty and honest feedback. It has to come through their behaviour,” he adds.
“It is important to be a good listener to be able to draw out honest feedback from employees,” says VD Wadhwa, MD and CEO of Timex. “Leader should be impartial and should refrain from passing judgements. They cannot demand loyalty and honest feedback. It has to come through their behaviour,” he adds.
3Encourage Ideation
Yebhi.com has a programme called Idea Gine to encourage innovation among employees. “Employees are encouraged to share even the most random ideas with the management,” says Agarwal.
Yebhi.com has a programme called Idea Gine to encourage innovation among employees. “Employees are encouraged to share even the most random ideas with the management,” says Agarwal.
4 Do What You Hear
Taking feedback and not implementing it is futile. “It is important to take both formal and informal inputs from employees and to use them in any of the corrective measures,” says Wadhwa.
Taking feedback and not implementing it is futile. “It is important to take both formal and informal inputs from employees and to use them in any of the corrective measures,” says Wadhwa.
5 Meet Them Individually
As all employees do not open up in meetings, one-to-one sessions are critical to get to know them better. “Most managers only talk to direct reports, so I make it a point to meet two employees every week in the absence of their immediate supervisors,” says Wadhwa.
As all employees do not open up in meetings, one-to-one sessions are critical to get to know them better. “Most managers only talk to direct reports, so I make it a point to meet two employees every week in the absence of their immediate supervisors,” says Wadhwa.
(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 19-06-2012)
No comments:
Post a Comment