Leaders need to know what is going on with their teams, but they often make the mistake of focusing too heavily on just knowing about things that are directly related performance and productivity. The following are a few questions that can help leaders get the performance feedback they need and gain a better understanding of their employees.
1. What can we do to make you more successful?
Ensuring employee success is a process that should continually evolve. Your employees’ needs will change with time, and leadership should adapt to these changes. Some people might just need some face time with management. You might also find that some employees need help learning a new skill. When you ask this question, it gives employees a chance to tell you what they need.
2. How would you rate your happiness with the job?
Happy employees tend to be more successful. Ask your employees about how happy they are, and ask them to provide feedback about the overall morale on the team. Just by asking this question, you can improve morale because employees will know that they are being heard. If you find that motivation is low, you can also plan various initiatives to turn around the mood in the workplace.
3. What’s going well for you?
It’s good to get your employees to talk about the things that are going well. People feel good when they get to talk about their successes. As a leader, you can also learn about your employees’ views on success and how well they align with the company’s goals. When you ask this question, you want to get beyond the big picture successes. Encourage them to talk about even the smallest of victories.
4. Have you experienced any recent challenges?
Some of your employees might be reluctant to come forward when they are having a problem. It’s not that they are trying to hide anything; they might just feel that you have bigger things to worry about. Asking this question gives them a chance to bring these issues to your attention. This could give you a chance to get ahead of a problem that otherwise would have been unknown to you.
5. Is there anything you would like to change about the company?
Your employees can often see things that you do not. They might notice inefficiency in a certain process, or a way that you could improve the product or service that the company provides. However, many employees do not feel like it is their place to make these suggestions. If you want to take advantage of the insights of your staff, you are going to need to ask them point-blank.
6. What are some key contributions from the people you work with?
It’s good to get your employees to think about the contributions of their fellow team members. This can help employees to build an appreciation for each other, and it can make for a team that is more cohesive.
Beyond that, you can learn a lot about an employee by knowing what they appreciate in their coworkers. You can learn about what they value in a team member, and it can also help you to evaluate the leadership qualities that may exist in various members of your team.
There are many things that you will never know about your team if you don’t actively seek the necessary feedback. Soliciting feedback from your staff is a form of recognition that can go far in terms of boosting motivation and engagement. By taking the time to ask the right questions, you can learn more about your employees and gain insights that could be vital to improving the success of your company as a whole.
Comments