The Importance of Feedback When in a Leadership Position
Leaders need a communication path between them and their employees. Communicating openly and frequently is necessary for work groups and teams to function properly. Feedback also is important for leaders to be successful in their roles. Feedback helps business leaders make conscientous and informed business decisions, which helps to reduce mistakes that could have a detrimental effect on the bottom line.
Feedback and Leadership: Credibility
The importance of feedback in leadership lies in the fact that it fosters open dialogue and communication which enhances a leader's credibility. According to First Round Review, supervisors and managers – particularly those who are newly hired or promoted – benefit from employee feedback to establish their leadership roles and assert their credibility.
With the frequent and meaningful feedback that employees provide, their supervisors and managers learn more about employees' job duties and responsibilities, as well as the challenges employees face in their jobs. Leaders then take this feedback and address employees' concerns in a manner that demonstrates their credibility.
For example, an employee who is concerned that his sales approach isn't as effective as it should be voices his concerns to his manager. The manager then provides guidance on developing an effective, consultative sales approach. By doing so, the leader improves his credibility through lending his expertise.
Feedback and Leadership Development Expectations
Supervisors and managers, both of which make up an organization's leadership team, are responsible for sustaining their own job performance and meeting the company's expectations. However, leaders are ultimately responsible for helping their employees meet the company's performance expectations.
A key component in any employer-employee relationship is that the employer needs to provide the employee with the tools necessary to meet the company's performance expectations and develop in their own leadership skills. When leaders and employees exchange feedback, it creates an environment that supports strong job performance. Feedback can be supervisor-to-employee on how to improve a process, or it can be employee-to-supervisor on the type of communication style that works best for that employee.
Feedback and Leadership Skills: Appraisals
Employee performance appraisals are feedback especially important for leaders and the employees who report to them. According to Forbes, most employees value feedback and want more of it so that they can better do their jobs.
At least, an annual performance appraisal provides an opportunity for supervisors and employees to engage in a two-way dialogue about employee strengths and weaknesses, as well as ways the supervisor can train or mentor the employee to improve her job performance or to prepare her for additional responsibilities.
Annual feedback also is important to determine how to recognize and reward employees for their performance and efforts. Many employers have compensation practices that are tied to performance feedback – feedback in this instance is essential to determining by what percentage the leader should raise the employee's salary.
Feedback and Transformational Leadership: Conflict
Workplace conflict creates a toxic environment that affects productivity, employee morale and engagement and, ultimately, company revenue and profitability. Feedback is critical when in a leadership position because it enables supervisors and managers to identify potential conflict between employees or conflict that leaders have with their employees.
Leaders who identify workplace conflict by listening to employee feedback can take proactive measures to diffuse negative workplace situations. In addition, understanding there may be the potential for conflict with an employee opens possibilities for conflict management before the supervisor-employee relationship is destroyed.