Video: Creating a Culture of Feedback

Transcript:

Hi, I’m Dave President of Marketing, a digital marketing agency just outside Philadelphia, PA, and welcome to my little video series I call, “What Am I Working On Today,” where I spent just a couple minutes talking about marketing and business topics that are on my plate right now, which may be timely for you too. Today’s backdrop is the stunning Bryce Canyon National Park. Ride a mule.  
 
So later today, I will be doing an annual review of a member of our team named Katie, as it’s her eight-year work anniversary. I’m fairly certain this should go well, as we communicate pretty regularly. My feedback will be positive, and I most look forward to hearing her point of view. This year, Katie has worked really hard on efficiency, incorporating AI into her processes, and she has drawn upon years of accrued experiences to make herself more valuable than the previous year. Therefore, just like every year prior, Katie will be getting a raise! Which also makes these meetings go a lot better. But what Katie also brings to table is that she participates in creating a positive culture and championing Arc. She has always given me candid feedback, which has served Arc very well. 
 
A couple of years ago, we were looking to make a key hire, and it was difficult. I narrowed the field to three qualified candidates, and then I brought in the entire team to be part of the interviews, just as I always do, so that the team could have input in choosing who they may be working with in the future. That just makes sense. Afterwards, the team gave me feedback, and you know, who they thought should get the job. But when I got to Katie, she said, “I don’t think you should hire any of them.” That’s Katie.  
 
But then she followed up to explain that she just didn’t feel that I was excited enough about any of the candidates. She knows how important every hire is to me. I treat this like a sports team, stars in key positions with a roster full of future stars worth grooming, all of which that represent the team very well. So, Kate pushed me to continue the search, and I ended up hiring someone completely different, who has been an absolute superstar.  
 
Katie was comfortable in giving me this counter feedback, because we have worked really hard to make sure that she and the entire team can speak against what I or other leaders are proposing. I know this sounds like it should be commonplace, but it’s just not in some organizations. There is a great deal of information, feedback and inclusion that can be gained if you truly create an environment by which the staff can push back without any repercussions whatsoever, no pettiness, no my way or the highway. And we’ve all heard the “open door policy,” but that means absolutely nothing if anyone still feels hesitant whatsoever about how leadership is going to respond to a counter argument in the near term or the long term.  
 
My advice to the C suite, directors, and managers is that this only works if you have good culture in place first, and then you openly state and you visibly support all points of view, no matter what. Trust and support must be consistent with true openness for the entire team. This sounds simple, but it takes real commitment.  
 
My advice to anyone making a counterpoint is to make sure it’s presented in a constructive and positive way. The one word I hate most is, “can’t,” I really do. I do understand that some undertakings are going to be difficult, challenging, they may not even be the most efficient way to get there. But saying “can’t” is a really bad look for you. When the impossible occurs, and it does, please come with an alternative solution, a compromise or something that gets us to the goal differently. This has to cut both ways. So, if you don’t have this environment now, work on creating a culture that fosters counterfeit back without any blow back whatsoever, and I promise you your organization will be better for it. Be a place where Katie can comfortably give you her two cents.