Be direct when providing feedback and communicate honestly with others in your group. You'll get more out of your team, and the group will get better at problem-solving.
It can feel stressful to communicate honestly in the short term. But in the long run, it's a huge benefit, says Melody Wilding, New York-based executive coach and human behavior professor at Hunter College. Wilding wrote "Managing Up."
"When you're giving feedback earlier and more transparently, you're nipping problems in the bud before they spiral into something much bigger," Wilding said. "It's much better to have open dialogue more regularly and feel like you can diplomatically voice your opinion so you're not harboring that resentment or frustration."
It also benefits your group financially. "It saves money if you're giving feedback earlier and avoiding more mistakes," she said.
Innovation, revenue growth and other business advantages follow because the organization can move faster than if people don't communicate honestly. Employee retention rises, too.
"Everyone enjoys work a bit more because we don't have to hide what we think," she said. "It's a huge lever for overall business growth."
Communicate Honestly By Realizing Your Value
Honesty is vital because people lead through the way they communicate, says Matt Abrahams, lecturer of strategic communications at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Abrahams also hosts the podcast "Think Fast, Talk Smart" and wrote "Think Faster, Talk Smarter."
"Honesty is a foundational principle to effective communication," Abrahams said. "It affects credibility, our ability to build relationships and trust, and it helps our ability to predict."
Communicate freely and honestly, especially to bosses, by first shifting your mindset. Many people feel that their leaders don't want to hear their honesty. But that's not often true.
"There are a lot of studies showing senior leaders crave feedback," Wilding said. "I can't tell you how many times I've been brought into organizations because the senior leader says their people aren't speaking truth to power often enough and they're facing the consequences of that."
Realize your value. As someone who is close to the work, your opinion and insight are vital to those at the top. "You are the boots on the ground," Wilding said. "Your leader relies on you to surface risks or opportunities."
Look at your own key values to ensure you stay honest, even if the short-term temptation is to lie or mislead to get a sale or win a promotion. Think about what matters to you and the consequences down the road if you're not honest.
"Having that kind of North Star allows us to focus on being honest," Abrahams said.
Communicate Honestly When Giving Feedback
Honesty is necessary when giving feedback. Start by building a culture in which feedback is expected and accepted.
"Make sure it comes from a place of respect and responsibility," Abrahams said. "Set up a culture of psychological safety so people know they won't get fired if they do something wrong, which incentivizes them to be dishonest."
Accept feedback from others, too. Seek it out and reward honest feedback from your people, even if it's not positive. "Then people can see it's not just a one-way street," Abrahams said.
Lead by example. Admit when you don't know the answer or you've made a mistake. Encourage others on your team to share their opinions. And build in regular feedback sessions.
The way feedback is delivered is the key to how effective it is. Craft the message as respectful, clear and inviting, Abrahams says. "I believe constructive feedback is an invitation to problem-solve," he said.
Focus on solutions and looking forward, Wilding says. Don't just throw out a problem or complain about the leader's style. "Don't just dump a problem in their lap," Wilding said. "Come with a challenge and your proposed path forward."
Get everyone in your group to communicate honestly by building the right atmosphere, Abrahams says. "Create an environment where people feel comfortable being who they are and saying what they want to say," he said.
