In leadership, it can sometimes feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, and certainly not enough time to give feedback to employees on their ideas.
There are times where the meetings, schedules, and dedicated project time all seem to come together.
This can cause problems when you begin to allocate your time.
However, providing feedback is a crucial part of leadership and is known to offer countless benefits for teams.
Unfortunately, it is something that tends to fall by the wayside when leaders find their calendars full.
If you fall into this category then this article will help you to make changes to make time.
The Importance of Feedback
While most of us receive feedback from our peers one way or another, remarks from leadership is a very different occurrence.
Employees rely on input from their leaders to gauge their own efforts.
When employees don’t receive any, it can cause problems for the team and undermine your success as their leader.
Studies show that managers who are known for giving great feedback generally show higher profitability.
When an employee receives feedback from a manager, it gives them an opportunity to celebrate their success. It also enables them to improve their work process.
With good feedback, employees can feel more confident in their own abilities and feel motivated.
It also enables them to expand upon what they already know.
An employee that receives positive feedback on their ideas is more likely to work hard and seek out new opportunities and challenges.
On the other hand, when an employee receives constructive feedback from their leader, it can help them to learn and grow.
Constructive feedback is a useful form of feedback for new ideas that may benefit the company.
How Failing to Give Feedback Impacts Teams
Employees that don’t receive feedback can feel like they are in limbo.
Without your input as a leader, they will be more likely to wonder where they fall.
They also won’t be able to gauge if their idea is good or not.
Employees also won’t trust the opinions of their peers if a leader doesn’t share their own.
Unfortunately, this is incredibly common.
In fact, when asked, 32% of interviewed employees reported that they had to wait several months to receive feedback from their managers on average.
Not only is a lack of feedback confusing for teams, but it can also be discouraging.
It can cause teams to be wary of sharing new ideas.
This is because the average person will take this as a sign that their efforts are not what their leadership was looking for.
In some cases, it may stop employees from sharing ideas altogether.
Encourage employees to share ideas
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Talk to us. We will show you how.
3 Tips to Make Time for Idea Feedback
Making time for idea feedback can feel impossible when you look at a calendar that is filled with overlapping meetings.
But it doesn’t need to be.
Like any other aspect of work, you can learn to give more idea feedback and plan accordingly so there is time for it.
This will help your team to see that you are committed to their success.
1. Take Notes
One of the best ways to make sure that you have time for feedback is simply just to take good notes.
By taking good notes, you can have a few talking points when you give feedback.
You can use this in a way that suits your needs.
Jotting down a few notes when ideas are being shared means that you can highlight key points after the meeting, on the fly, or even in an email when you are ready to elaborate.
2. Schedule Regular 1×1 Meetings
Leaders should be in consistent communication with everyone on their team about their performance, and this is a wonderful place to offer idea feedback.
Scheduling regular 1×1 meetings can make it easy for you to dedicate time to giving feedback on a variety of topics, and it offers a great way to connect with your team on a more personal level.
3. Discuss New Ideas with Your Team
Your team is likely full of ideas, and if you want to make them a priority, you need to treat these spaces as a priority.
Committing dedicated time to talk with your team about ideas is a wonderful way to make sure that you always have the time to give that feedback when they need it.
Openly discussing ideas is a great opportunity for you to give feedback in real-time. This helps your team to start thinking in the right direction.
Conclusion
Powerful leaders empower their teams to always keep an eye out for opportunities — and these opportunities can turn into ideas.
Providing clear and consistent feedback to your team is a wonderful way to keep them engaged.
It also encourages them to keep coming up with new ideas when the opportunity presents itself.
A little feedback can go a long way in helping you to help your team perform better.
Remember to keep the dialogue flowing so your team knows that they are always welcome to share their inspirations!
