Ask for feedback
When you make learning a continuous process, you need to balance it by constantly asking for feedback to make sure your lessons are getting through.
This is an obvious step if employees are clearly not meeting your expectations. Asking for their input may help you distinguish between an employee who doesn’t fit the role and one who just doesn’t understand the expectations.
“More often, you will find that it’s either a situation of clarity — they didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing — or they thought they were supposed to be doing something and it turned out to be different,” McNeill says.
“Perceptions have to be aligned with your intentions. And the only way you’re really going to know is to continuously solicit feedback.”
After meetings, for example, McNeill asks for reactions when he runs into people, asking what was clearly articulated and where the ambiguities lie.
“It can be as direct as, ‘What’d you think of the meeting?’ or, ‘What’d you think of the message?’” he says. “And then you say, ‘Well, why? Why did you think that?’ Another key to developing people is always asking open-ended questions.”
But the communication loop still isn’t complete. If you ask for employees’ feedback, you need to use it. For example, they may fire back ideas about how to improve your message or your delivery of it. And those suggestions can’t be ignored.
“Your critics can offer you a very valuable service if you take it constructively and not make it personal,” McNeill says. “Think about what they’re saying and why. Put yourself in the shoes of the critic; why would [he or she] see it that way? Try to understand it from a different perspective.”
And even if employees’ ideas won’t work, you need to let them know why so they don’t think they’re going unheard.
“Usually, the biggest problem you have is someone will say, ‘Well, this is what I think.’ And then if you don’t do it, the common reaction is, ‘Well, they really didn’t listen to me,’” McNeill says. “So … get back to people and say, ‘Thanks for your idea. We tossed it around. This is where we came out. Here’s why.’”
This final step can be done formally. At Atrium, for example, submissions to the suggestion box are printed in the newsletter with answers. But informal personal responses can be even more effective — whether you discuss it at a departmental meeting, send the employee a follow-up note or just stop the person in the hall.
“Look, leadership is a team sport,” McNeill says. “And yeah, there’s only one CEO, but the CEO’s prime responsibility — in addition to serving customers — is to develop a strong team. So you’ve got to learn how to be a good team member. Part of being a good team member is developing this trust so that you can talk candidly about what went right and what didn’t and how you fix it.”
How to reach: Atrium Medical Center, (800) 338-4057 or www.atriummedcenter.org
