Go Get It!
Article | Accountability Insights
Does this surprise you? Most CEOs, division presidents, senior leaders, middle managers, and line supervisors repeatedly tell us that they don’t get enough feedback. Of course, when you’re not getting feedback on a regular basis, you’re missing vital perspectives and critical information that you need in order to see and understand your own situation as well as that of your organization’s.
So whenever you’re not receiving enough feedback, go get it. Accountable people seek feedback—in fact, seeking feedback is a huge part of what makes people more accountable. Actively seeking feedback not only strengthens your ability to take accountability, it also creates accountability-building experiences for others. When your people see you actively and frequently seeking feedback, they begin forming new beliefs about your level of accountability and the importance of accountability throughout the organization. Why is feedback so important? Simply stated, feedback makes it possible for people, teams, and organizations to face hard realities, identify pesky problems, tackle insurmountable obstacles, resolve critical issues, and achieve desired results.
Accountable people who regularly “go get feedback” are always the ones who solve problems and make things happen. They also demonstrate what we call Best Practices of persistently accountable people and organizations. Here are four of these Best Practices:
| 1. | Constantly asking “What else can I do?” Asking this simple question, again and again, puts you into a whole new mind set for producing results, now and in the future. | |
| 2. | Overcoming cross-functional boundaries. Getting past the boundaries between functions and organizational silos allows you to see the hard realities and a more complete picture of things as they really are. | |
| 3. | Creatively dealing with obstacles. Perceiving obstacles in a new light with real ownership gives you the strength to come up with new solutions. | |
| 4. | Taking the necessary risks. Driving change and delivering greater results requires moving outside your comfort zone and taking the risks necessary to propel you and your organization to new heights. |
Organizations that fail to create work environments where feedback is frequently and freely shared cannot develop the level of accountability necessary to get everyone in the organization asking what else they can do to achieve the desired results.
To learn more about creating work environments where people “go get feedback,” rather than “wait for it,” we invite you to join the Accountability Community by visiting www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review actual client case studies.
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