High performing teams sound different than other teams. They are noisier!
The Harvard Business Review in June reminded leaders that providing feedback to your team is truly a shared responsibility. Taking actions to facilitate team-directed and team-provided feedback can help keep your team on track and lead to new levels of performance.
I worked with an oncology practice team that consistently received the highest levels of patient satisfaction across a large care delivery system. When asked what helped them provide such high levels of care they focused on the daily “huddle” they held. Once a day the entire team gathered together and shared feedback with each other on what was working well that day, what unique issues were coming up and what ideas each of them had to improve care. They all spoke; the front-desk receptionist, the rooming nurse, the physician, the manager, the chemotherapy tech, and the radiology tech. Each one was allowed and expected to give feedback to the rest of the team from their own perspective.
Rebecca Knight, the HBR author mentioned above, encourages leaders to follow these principles to build a culture that supports team members providing feedback to each other:
- Establish the expectation of group feedback and accountability and define it as a team.
- Schedule and hold regular “check-in” meetings – like the huddles
- Start with general, easy to answer questions.
- Role-model listening to feedback.
- Moderate and facilitate to allow everyone to share.
- Don’t avoid negative feedback or “issues.”
Helping your team members give and receive feedback from each other leverages the insights each person has and also creates a shared leadership accountability to high levels of performance.
Todd Thorsgaard
Higher EDge 