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In today’s workforce, there is no “one size fits all” approach. People are unique beings, cultures are unique to the environment in which they are born, and businesses are unique in how they run. In order to get feedback—you need to ask for it! However, asking for feedback and doing something with it are two different things. WorkSource Staffing has compiled a list of what some top leaders in the industry are doing with the feedback they are receiving, and how it will help the growth and longevity of their business.

Gone are the days of fancy titles.

While it is true that most employees are interested in making their way up the proverbial ladder, they are not interested in receiving the fancy title without much else behind it. Many top leaders understand that offering a title means offering more responsibility, but if you are unwilling to put monetary benefits or other increased benefits behind the title, many employees end up feeling frustrated and burned out. When asking for feedback regarding promotions, many leaders ask how employees feel about lateral promotions or title promotions without paygrades. You may wince at asking these questions, but it is worth your while to consider it. It lets the employees know you hear their concerns and that you value their input, and increases productivity and decreases turn over.

Receiving the Zen effect.

When people share an interest in an outcome, positive change occurs. This change can be internal or external; it can happen through leadership to employees or business to customer. No matter how it happens, asking for feedback and applying it gives both you and the shared party a common goal. It’s a synergy, or “Zen” moment that many business leaders look for these days. Asking for feedback not only empowers employees or customers to feel their opinions matter, but it also empowers leaders to know where they need to improve and strengthens them as leaders.

Feedback improves discord among teams.

According to a recent Harvard study, when leaders asked for feedback they were able to not only improve the business culture, but also improve as leaders among their staff. One way in which feedback can greatly improve your business is through identifying and alleviating team discord. A manager can be seen as a strong strategist or creative thinker, but that does not make them an effective leader.  To bring teams back together and help create that effective leadership, you need to start at the source. Leaders report that when they conducted round table discussions with senior executives and middle market staff they noticed a more communicative environment. Some even utilized round table dinners to help reduce “office stigma”. Leaders reported only listening at these meetings, framing three areas for discussion at each meeting, asking only probing questions, and allowing the teams and management to provide the discussion. Individual meetings are then set up where more in-depth questions are asked. This type of feedback gathering provides a broader culture of coaching and learning that then takes root within the organization. This style of feedback builds on efforts to create an upward coaching environment. It allows you to get coaching that is grounded in the strategic needs of the business.

Obtaining feedback and implementing change reinforces the need for leaders to have the courage to frame the right questions and ask for help from employees and customers. This can help build a powerful competitive advantage for your organization, and WorkSource Staffing, a premier staffing agency, can offer the tools to get your organization where it wants to be.

Contact our team at WorkSource Staffing and find out how we can help you.

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