{"id":139858,"date":"2022-04-12T11:46:46","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T11:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/layout\/?p=46131"},"modified":"2022-04-12T11:46:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T11:46:46","slug":"get-honest-feedback-from-a-small-team","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/get-honest-feedback-from-a-small-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Generate Honest, Constructive Feedback From a Small Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Great leaders want their teams to feel supported and heard, because when your employees feel respected, they\u2019re more likely to stick around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No business wants to lose their best and brightest, but with the great resignation impacting the technology sector more<\/a> than others, keeping your team intact is about more than paying them well and offering quality benefits. One of the ways you can prove your commitment to your employees is by asking for their input on your current performance and how it\u2019s impacting the future of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this sounds easy, many leaders find\u2014especially on small teams\u2014that employees feel they can\u2019t share their thoughts with 100% honesty. Sending out a survey and promising anonymity only means so much when there\u2019s just a handful of people in the office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a small team, employees may suspect (sometimes rightfully so) that they could be identified  based on their writing style or the specifics they mention in their survey. With that in mind, how do you convince your team to provide you with the difficult criticism you need to be a better leader? After all, you can\u2019t fix a problem if you don\u2019t know it exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use these tips to get honest, constructive feedback from your team, even if it\u2019s just a few people, so you can continue growing with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Yourself Approachable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to get the best insights from your employees, they first have to feel comfortable approaching you outside of a scheduled 1:1 or other feedback session. Having an open-door policy, and making sure it\u2019s well defined<\/a> so your team actually uses it, is a great idea! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the transition to hybrid or fully remote work environments has changed how we create the relationship-building moments that would normally happen in an in-office setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Requesting input regularly, whether through quick, informal meetings or even a simple email, can make all the difference. Go a step further by providing a clear timeline for your employees to provide their thoughts. For example, you could send a short email to the team saying \u201cplease provide any thoughts, questions, or concerns or send your all clear by [date].\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing so gives your employees time to think about their work and gather their thoughts so they can clearly express their questions or concerns. It shows them you\u2019re not just interested in what they can contribute to the end product, but about their thoughts on the project and how it affects your company\u2019s goals overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask the Right Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re asking for feedback on a project or sending out a more general company survey, the questions you ask\u2014and how you ask them\u2014will affect the quality of the feedback you receive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep your questions specific enough that you require more than a simple yes or no. Writing questions that inspire your employees to speak candidly is difficult, and you may have to test different questions to see which ones connect with your team. Some important topics you could ask about include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n